Kung pao partridge with green slaw
Brining and poaching keeps the meat tender and juicy before pan-frying in the bold and flavourful sauce.
Ingredients
For the brine
- 90g/3¼oz table salt
For the partridge
- 2 English wild partridge (not farmed if possible)
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
For the Chinese stock
- 1.5 litres/2¾ pints chicken stock
- 115g/4oz light soy sauce
- 250ml/9fl oz Shaoxing wine
- 125²µ/4½´Ç³ú palm sugar
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 3 star anise
- 1 tsp cumin seed, toasted
- 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
For the Kung Poa sauce
- ½ tsp ground star anise
- 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
- 100g/3½oz fermented chilli bean paste
- 35²µ/1¼´Ç³ú oyster sauce
- 40g/1½oz shaoxing wine
- 40g/1½oz Chinese black vinegar
- 85g/3oz light soy sauce
- 25g/1oz rice wine vinegar
- 100g/3½oz sweet chilli sauce
- 70²µ/2½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp cornflour
For the green slaw
- 100g/3½oz mooli, julienned
- 100g/3½oz green kale, julienned
- 100g/3½oz bok choy, julienned
- 50g/1¾oz nori seaweed (blitzed to powder)
- 2 green and red shiso leaves, julienned
For the jalapeño dressing
- 4 fermented or pickled jalapeños
- 1 whole preserved lemon (pips removed)
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 150g/5½oz Japanese kewpie mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
- sea salt
To garnish
- 2 pickled red chillies
- 12 Szechuan dry chillies
- 2 tbsp crushed dry roasted peanuts
- spring onions, very thinly sliced on the angle
Method
To make the brine, put the salt in a saucepan with 1.5 litres/2¾ pints of water. Bring to boil, then take off the heat. Leave to cool completely in the fridge.
Put the partridge in the solution and brine in the fridge for 1 hour.
To make the Chinese stock, put all the ingredients in a saucepan with 100ml/3½fl oz of water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, then set aside.
Place the partridge in the stock and poach for 6 minutes. Remove from the stock and leave to cool.
To make the Kung Poa sauce, combine all the ingredients, except for the cornflour, in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Mix the cornflour with a little extra water and add to the sauce, a little at a time, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
To make the dressing, purée the fermented jalapeños, preserved lemon, oil and salt in a blender until smooth. Add the kewpie mayonnaise, season and mix well. Mix into the green slaw vegetables.
Cut the partridge into 4–6 pieces. Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Add the partridge and cook for 2–3 minutes, until golden brown. Add the Kung Poa sauce and cook for a further minute.
Transfer the cooked partridge to a serving bowl and top with all the garnishes. Serve with the green slaw on the side.