To celebrate Great British Game Week, we have asked a selection of our Eat Game ambassadors to share their favourite game recipes.
With six different game meats featured, there is something for everyone – from crispy Korean partridge with Korean ketchup to the ‘Boro favourite Bunny Parmo Fingers.
To help you enjoy the meal even more, our friends at Tanners Wine have paired three wines, at three different price points, with each dish, making for a perfect entertaining combo.
Crispy Korean partridge with Korean ketchup
Rachel Green shares her favourite partridge recipe which can be made using the latest go-to kitchen gadget – the air fryer.
Wine Pairing
Partridge: The delicacy of partridge and the sweetness of the ketchup angle towards whites rather than red, although a young, fruity Beaujolais will just about cope.
Paso-Primero Blanco, Somontano 2020 Spain £10.50 – Glorious aromas, a very quaffable white with breadth and depth of character.
Henri Ehrhart Muscat, Florale, Alsace 2021 France £12.30 – Superb grapey flavours that balance the sweet and sour of Korean food.
Lenchen Riesling Spätlese, Peter Jakob Kühn, Rheingau 2020 (organic) Germany £29.95 – The quintessential, much forgotten, off-dry Riesling – so classy and pure.
Grouse & fig filo baskets
Esther Veerman shares her favourite grouse recipe as we celebrate Great British Game Week.
“It is surprisingly simple and quick to make. The filo baskets can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
“This recipe can even be transformed into a starter, simply by making bigger vessels!”
Wine pairing
Grouse: Possibly the king of roasted gamebirds; if you are eating a whole one then break out your finest old Burgundy or Côte-Rôtie and devil take the cost! Canapés, however, are made to be shared, and a bottle of good fizz will fit the bill nicely here.
Tanners Cava Brut, Traditional Method, Spain £11.50 – Soft, easy-going fizz with that Cava flavour to match the canapé.
Vérizet, Crémant de Bourgogne Brut, Cave de Viré, France £17.50 – Classy Chardonnay and Pinot blend that approaches Champagne in quality.
André Clouet Grande Réserve, Brut Champagne, Grand Cru à Bouzy £33.00 – A ‘blanc de noirs’ with richness and depth, a mellow glass to meet those gamey flavours.
Ragu of wild boar
Mike Robinson selected this simple but tasty recipe as his favourite game dish.
Wine Pairing
Similar to venison, the celery here is a key flavour that makes a Southern French or Italian red work really well. Boar rampage across Europe; in Poland or Germany you’d be washing it down with a shot of schnapps, but let’s stick to wine and three lovely reds that you’d encounter in France, Italy or Portugal.
Château Tour de Luchey, Bordeaux 2019 France £10.80 – A simple but flavourful claret that picks up gamey flavours very well. Mostly Merlot.
Quinta do Francês, Odelouca River Valley, Algarve 2019 Portugal £19.40 – Outstanding rich Syrah flavours from the wilds of Portugal, very more-ish.
Taurasi, Fatica Contadina, Terredora Di Paolo 2014 Italy £36.00 – The fabled red from Monte Vulture, a perfect partner with that extra bit of age and mellowness.
Black Forest Pigeon
Tristan Prudden shares his go-to pigeon recipe to help us celebrate Great British Game Week.
“I love cooking pigeon as it is such a versatile, healthy and delicious meat.
“It can be used for so many different dishes and cooking styles and simply has to be tried.”
Wine Pairing
Pigeons guzzling cherries, pigeons on the kale fields… it’s time to get your own back and, happily, cherries are a classic flavour of the great Italian grape, Sangiovese. The cabbage works really well too, so a trio of Italian red beauties to aim for here.
Amanti del Vino Sangiovese, Rubicone 2021 Italy £8.30 – Young and fruity with a hint of sweet red cherry in the background.
Rosso Ribelle Sangiovese, Maremma Toscana, Val di Toro 2019 (organic) Italy £13.95 – More robust, chunky in style with backbone and character.
Chianti Classico Riserva, Riecine 2019 Italy £32.00 – Fabulously silky and complex yet with plenty of density and wonderful length of flavour.
Boro’s Bunny Parmo Fingers
Simon Whitehead shares his take on the classic northeast dish from his roots. Who doesn’t love a parmo?
Wine Pairing
Rabbit is a great foil for both red and white wines. The cheese here gives a more robust flavour to match, so a characterful white or a juicy young red would do the job equally well (just go easy on the ketchup…!).
Tanners Merlot, Pays d’Oc 2021 France £9.50 – Soft, smooth and friendly, no hard edges here.
Margan Verdelho, Hunter Valley 2022 Australia £14.40 – A wonderful, if unknown Aussie white, perfect to balance your bunny.
Burrowing Owl Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley 2019 Canada £29.00 – Well, a quality, Burgundian-style Chardonnay and the owl may meet the rabbit down the burrow!
Venison Shanks with Baby Beets
This is a recipe Jose Souto and Steve Lee love for those cold winter days after a day out in the countryside.
Wine pairing
Venison: A lovely, warming dish like this has richness and sweet earthiness from the beets and chestnuts, making it a perfect match for a big, ‘sunny’ red wine. Try these three styles:
Stobi Vranec, Tikves Region 2019 Nth Macedonia £9.90 – Robust, generous, oodles of dark fruit from the heart of Eastern Europe.
Acón Crianza Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero 2018 Spain £18.95 – Big, rich and dense, there’s a touch of oak, too – perfect balance in this great Spanish wine.
Acrux, Colchagua, Sutil 2017 Chile £25.00 – A blend of six super-ripe varieties, this is knock-out stuff from Chile.
