Partridge Leg Dippers

25 minutes prep, 1 hour approx. cook

Serves 10

Ingredients

30 partridge legs

2 litres chicken stock

200g plain flour

4 free-range eggs, beaten

200g panko breadcrumbs

For the dip:

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsps smoked paprika

50ml soy sauce

250ml tomato passata

30ml honey Vegetable or sunflower oil for cooking

Method

Remove the thigh bone from the partridge legs and clean or trim the leg bones. Poach the legs in simmering chicken stock for 45 minutes until tender. Remove and allow to cool. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs into separate bowls. Dip each leg into the flour for a good coating. Then the egg. And finally the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess before you put them onto a plate, ready for cooking.

To make the dip, put a glug of oil into a small frying pan, turn the heat to medium, and cook the garlic until just starting to colour (be careful not to burn). Then add the smoked paprika, soy sauce, tomato passata and honey and stir well. Allow to cook for 10 minutes then take off the heat to cool. Transfer into a dipping bowl.

To cook the partridge legs, pour 6cm of sunflower oil into a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan, or use a deep fat fryer. Heat to 160°C. Fry the partridge legs in small batches until golden brown and then remove them with tongs and put onto kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil.

Pile high onto a plate and serve together with the dipping sauce.