Page 28 - Rooftops

Partridge and duck liver wellington
Afavourite on The Bildeston Crown’s menu, this dish works well with all types of wild game, and encasing the breast meat in parma ham and puff pastry ensures it stays juicy. Chris con- fits the legs for a terrine he often serves alongside, and uses the carcass to add richness to the gravy. Serve with seasonal vegetables and pota- toes. Serves 4.
For the jus
Carcasses from 4 oven-ready partridges 100ml madeira
1ltr good game stock
For the wellington
8 large leaves spinach 8 partridge breasts
4 slices parma ham
4 slices duck liver
1 large block rich puff pastry Egg yolk
Chop up the carcasses and roast in a very hot oven till browned. Boil the madeira in the roasting tin, scraping to deglaze. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a syrup, sieve, and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrig- erate till required.
To make the wellingtons, blanch the spinach in boiling water then plunge into iced water to cool. Drain well. Season the partridge breasts. Lay out a dinner- plate size of clingfilm, place a slice of the ham in the centre, add a spinach leaf, a breast, a slice of liver, another breast and another leaf. Fold around the ham, then use the clingfilm to roll it all together into a tight ball. Chill for 12 hours to set.
When ready to cook, heat the oven to 185c. Roll out the puff pastry and cut into four 10cmx10cm squares. Unwrap the meat, encase in pastry, and brush with egg yolk. Place on a hot tray and bake for 12 minutes till cooked through. Remove and rest for 10 minutes, then serve sliced in two with vegetables and game jus.
Cosy: Inside the Bildeston Crown
‘ square of potato and turnip boulangère, and roasted, puréed and pickled turnips, that make it sing. And where some might be tempted to decorate with a fiddly flurry of micro herbs or a sneeze of foam, Chris leaves it as it is.
The Bildeston Crown menu is rich with top-notch ingredients. Many are local – Red Poll beef is from a nearby herd, Suffolk Blue cheese gives salty depth to a fondant served with sweet beetroot cannelloni, and the venison loin, simply pan-fried, is from Elaine – but Chris is known for an unabashed use of luxury ingredients. Lobster, ceps, hints of truffle, oysters, and caviar pop up on both the Classics line-up (his lobster Caesar salad is rarely off the menu, and a baked camembert with truffle honey is an indulgent starter), or the Select menu (cep and truffle risotto with salsify and wild mushrooms packs a tasty punch). Even his burger becomes deluxe if you choose to add duck liver and truffle mayo.
“We used to be known for fine dining,” says Chris, “but I’d rather be known for everyday good dining. There’s so much competition these days. We can’t assume people will choose us, so we have to offer a range of dishes, not just what we think customers should want. Some want the seven-course taster and wine flight, others come for a sandwich and a pint, or fish and chips.” ‘Fish and Fizz’ Fridays, and a mid-week set lunch is part of a mission to offer the everyday alongside the special.
Kent-born Chris fell into cooking. “I wanted to be a banker but didn’t get the maths grade so ended up as a kitchen porter at the Hilton in Northampton. I did a day-release catering course, realised I enjoyed food, and got a job at the Hilton Park Lane aged 16.” From there, Chris went to Fawsley Hall near Daventry to work under the legendary Nico Ladenis, before he and his wife Hayley took on The Bildeston Crown for owner and local farmer, James Buckle. Hayley finishes the story. “In 2013 we left, but we came back in 2015, and it felt like coming home.”
Suffolk Feast: One County, Twenty Chefs is available, priced £24.50, from The Bildeston Crown and other featured restaurants, good retailers or online.
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