I HAVE just been sharpening my knives ready for the Malton Game and Seafood Fest on Saturday, which is billed as the Baby Brother to the May Festival. It’s an excellent initiative by the We Love Malton people, not least as it moves the focus from early spring seasonal foods to early autumn, when fantastic Ryedale game is becoming available.

I’ve been trying to encourage people to eat and cook our local game for years, so was pleased to be invited to go along and do a demonstration, and maybe catch up with my old mate and fellow Michelin-starred chef James MacKenzie.

I hope you will come along to see me cooking local shot partridge and Bransdale grouse. Here are the recipes to whet your appetite.

My first recipe is a good way to use partridges, which are not good enough to roast as a whole. You could even use just the breasts, if the bird has been badly shot or bruised. However, you can still make use of the bones to make a good stock.

Chestnuts add a contrasting texture and the vibrant colours of the black trumpet mushrooms and the bright green of the curly kale make it a great autumnal comfort food. It works nearly as well with pheasant and/or Savoy cabbage and can be served as a starter or main course.

My second recipe uses hedgerow berries and orchard apples combined with roast grouse – and a drop of sloe gin to keep out any early autumn chill.

Risotto of local shot partridge with braised chestnuts, black trumpet mushrooms, wilted curly kale and white truffle oil (serves four)

Ingredients

2 breasts of red-legged partridge, skin off, 1cm dice

16 braised chestnuts or vac-packed

100g roughly chopped curly kale

300g Arborio risotto rice

1 shallot peeled and finely chopped

Olive oil

600ml good game stock

50g unsalted butter

50g cleaned Black Trumpet mushrooms

100g cooking cheddar

5ml white truffle oil

Method

Sweat the shallot in a drop of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan without colouring only for one to two minutes, add the rice, stir briefly again, add 500ml game stock, cook out the rice, stirring all the time, so it doesn’t stick, most of the stock will have evaporated.

In a separate pan shallow-fry the partridge in a little oil to lightly colour only for two to three minutes, add a splash of sherry, then tip this into the rice pan, add the cooked chestnuts, mushrooms, curly kale and cheese, check the consistency and seasoning. The rice should be al dente (firm to the bite), stir in the butter, spoon into warm bowls and drizzle with a little white truffle oil. Serve immediately.

Roast grouse with Ampleforth Abbey apple purée, mulled brambles and sloe gin juices (serves four)

Ingredients

4 young grouse, oven ready

Seasoning

4 slices of pancetta

3 cooking apples

100g sugar

100ml mulled wine

100g brambles

50ml sloe gin

100ml veal stock

Seasoning

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Place the grouse on an oven tray, season, then take the pancetta and cover over the bird’s breasts, to keep them moist, and roast for about 16 to 18 minutes. Then remove from the oven and leave to rest.

To make the apple purée, first peel and core the apples, then cut each apple into quarters. Place the apples into a small saucepan adding a little water and the sugar, then bring to boil and cook until very soft. Purée in the food processor until smooth.

Bring the mulled wine to the boil, then place the brambles in a small dish and cover with the wine, leaving to cool and take on the flavours of the wine.

For the sauce, heat the veal stock and reduce by half. At this point, add the sloe gin, which will add a rich and fruity flavour to the sauce.

To serve, take the breasts and legs off the birds and keep warm, spoon the apple purée on to the plate and place two breasts and legs on each plate, spoon the mulled brambles around the plate and finish with the sloe gin sauce, adding the pancetta to garnish on top.