Ingredients for the Known Ground reconstruction
Ingredient amounts shown for 8 servings.
Known Ground reconstruction
- 3whole partridges, patted dry
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 1 lbprepared game-liver gratin forcemeat, made as in the Hot Pheasant Pie entry
- 2 lbhot-water pastry
- 8 ozmushrooms, cooked and sliced
- 3 ozfresh black truffle, sliced
- 1 cupdry red wine
- 1shallot, sliced
- 2 cupsgame stock
- 1 cupdemi-glace
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Known Ground reconstruction
The reconstruction follows the source's explicit pheasant-pie notes at a partridge scale. A springform pan replaces the historical raised-pie mold. This version has not been personally tested by Known Ground. Cook the bird and any poultry forcemeat to 165°F (74°C) in its thickest portion.
Instructions
1. Roast the partridges in butter at 400°F until each reaches 165°F (74°C). Cool, slice the breasts, pick the leg meat, and reserve the carcasses.
2. Line a buttered 9-inch springform pan with pastry and coat it with part of the gratin forcemeat. Alternate partridge, mushrooms, truffle, and remaining forcemeat; seal with a pastry lid and cut a vent.
3. Bake at 375°F until the pastry is browned and the centre reaches 165°F (74°C), about 50 to 65 minutes. Rest 15 minutes and unmold.
4. Brown the carcasses with shallot, add wine, stock, and demi-glace, simmer 30 minutes, strain, and reduce. Serve the hot sauce separately with the pie.
Historical formula
Ingredients
- three partridges
- pastry
- mushrooms
- truffles
Method
For an ordinary hot pie, take three partridges, roast them while keeping them rare, and make the pie as for pigeons. Follow the source notes for pheasant hot game pies.
Source
Le Guide Culinaire — Relevés et entrées de gibier, pp. 895–953.
Updated since publication
Last revised 8/21/2026. Evidence and limitations should be interpreted as described in the article.
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