Nick Clegg’s Christmas recipe

Our Christmas issue is so packed that, sadly, there wasn’t enough space to include everything that was originally commissioned. Among the ejectees was a series of Christmas recipes and tips from politicians, writers and friends of The Spectator.

In which case, we thought we’d put them up online, where the real estate, just like the goodwill, is endless. You can read Nick Clegg’s recipe for Patridge ‘Estofada’ below. And there is — and will be — more on our Facebook page today, including Ed Miliband’s recipe for roast lamb…

Partridge ‘Estofada’
 This isn’t what we’ll be eating on Christmas Day but we’ll certainly have it in the run-up, when we are over in Spain, because it is Miriam’s favourite and the boys love it too. It’s simple and delicious, and in season during the festive period. Ingredients:

 2 partridges. 2 onions (sliced). Red pepper (sliced).
 Carrot (sliced).
 4 cloves of garlic (chopped). Parsley (chopped).
 Bay leaf.
 Olive oil. 
 Vinegar (1.5 tablespoons).
 
 Directions:

 Cover the frying pan in a generous amount of oil and bring to the heat. Cover the partridges well with salt and pepper and fry them on all sides until they are nice and golden (this should only take three or four minutes). Remove the partridges from the pan and let them sit. At the same time, add more oil to the pan and add the onions, pepper, carrot, garlic, parsley and the bay leaf and fry it all over a medium heat until all the vegetables have been softened. Return the partridges to the pan and add the vinegar and the glass of water. (When making estofada, many people use dry white wine but I think vinegar and water works just as well). Put a lid on the pan and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve on its own or with a nice potato dish.