Pot-roasted partridge with grapes, gnocchi and mushrooms

To begin, prepare the gnocchi. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Prick the potatoes all over and bake whole in the oven until the flesh is completely soft. While still hot, scoop the flesh out of the skins and pass through a potato ricer (or use a masher)

Mix the egg, egg yolk and flour in a bowl to combine, then lightly mix into the potato – do not over-mix. When just combined, add the herbs and roll into long logs measuring 2cm in diameter

Cut the logs into individual gnocchi and heat a large pan of water until almost boiling. Add a batch of the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface – it’s best to do a smaller test batch at first to make sure you have enough flour in the mixture. If they don’t float, mix again with a sprinkling more flour and re-roll and cut

Drain and plunge into iced water to chill quickly. Repeat in batches with the remaining gnocchi. When all of the gnocchi have been cooked and chilled, place in the fridge until required

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

To cook the partridges, add a dash of oil and knob of butter to a large saucepan and allow to heat up. Once the butter is foaming, add the partridges and colour all over, until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside

Add the carrots and onions to the same pan and cook until tender and golden. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any residue

Add the chicken stock and thyme, return the birds to the pan and cover with a lid. Place in the oven for 25 minutes

Remove the partridges from the pan and allow to rest in a warm place. Add the cream to the pan and bring to the simmer. Season well, add the grapes and herbs and place the birds back in the pan. Keep warm

Add a dash of oil to a non-stick pan and when hot, add the gnocchi. Pan-roast on all sides until golden, then add to the pan with the partridges

Add a knob of butter to another non-stick pan and place over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic clove and mushrooms and roast for 1 minute until lightly golden. Stir in the parsley, season then sprinkle the mushrooms over the partridges

Serve in the pan at the table for everyone to dig in