Philippa Davis’ partridge hot pot is wonderfully warming, and a great way to clear an overstuffed freezer.  Save for when you are making supper in rush – as it is a meal itself, there’s no need to worry about sides.

Don’t leave your game in the freezer, take inspiration from our recipes and get it onto the table. Our pheasant Keralan curry makes great use of old birds.

PARTRIDGE HOT POT

Besides their beautiful layered crispy tops, what I love most about hot pots is that they are a meal in themselves, so no need to worry about sides.

Serves 4

• 1 onion
• 1 medium leek
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
• 50g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 partridges, meat taken off the bone and cut into bite-sized chunks; use the bones to make the stock
• 2 tbsp flour
• Splash of Worcester sauce
• 100ml white wine
• 250ml light game stock
• 1 ground nutmeg

Topping

• 230g potato, skin left on and thinly sliced into rounds
• 50g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 130g small beetroots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
• 130g sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
• Medium-sized casserole dish, ideally with a lid

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

In a frying pan, sauté the onions and leeks with the bay leaves and thyme in 25g of the butter and 1 tbsp of the olive oil until soft, then transfer into the casserole dish.

Coat the meat with the flour then, in the same frying pan, brown it in the remaining butter and oil.

Once brown, add the Worcester sauce, wine and stock, bring to a simmer, season and then transfer into the casserole dish; grate in the nutmeg and mix with the sautéed vegetables.

Layer the potatoes on top in circles, starting from around the edge, season and dot with half the butter and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil.

Layer the beetroots on top around the outside, a ring of sweet potato inside and finish the centre with a ring of beetroots.

Season and dot with the rest of the butter and olive oil.

Cover with a lid or tightly with foil and cook for 1½ hours or until the topping is cooked.

Uncover the dish, turn the oven up to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 and cook for a further 30 minutes to brown.