Roast partridge and cinnamon pears with warm barley and roots salad

1 HOUR | SERVES 4 | EASY

pearl barley 200g rapeseed oil 50ml

Williams pears 2, halved, cored and cut into 6 wedges ground cinnamon 1 tsp partridges 4, oven-ready (see cook’s notes) carrot 1 large, finely chopped celery 1 stick, finely chopped onion 1 small, finely chopped garlic 1 clove, smashed but left whole smoked streaky bacon 2 rashers, chopped bay leaf 1 thyme 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley a small bunch, roughly chopped lemon 1, zested and juiced

• Cook the pearl barley in a large pan of boiling salted water for 25-30 minutes or until tender, then drain really well.

• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the pear wedges for a few minutes until caramelised. Scoop out into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the ground cinnamon. Brown the partridges in a drizzle more oil in the same pan until really golden all over. Put the partridges on top of the pears, drizzle over a little more oil, season and put in the oven for 20 minutes or until the juices run clear from the partridges when poked in the thickest parts. Rest for 6-7 minutes.

• To make the salad, gently fry the diced vegetables, garlic and bacon with the bay leaf and thyme in 2 tsp of the rapeseed oil until the vegetables and bacon are golden, then add the cooked barley, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and the remaining oil, stirring to combine. Season really well.

• Cut each bird in half, or carve the breasts and legs, and serve on top of the warm salad with the cinnamon pears.

PER SERVING 650 KCALS | FAT 25G SATURATES 4G | CARBS 52.1G | SUGARS 11.7G FIBRE 4.8G | PROTEIN 51.8G | SALT 0.8G