Red-legged partridge cooked in salt dough with grilled parsnip, ceps and hazelnuts

PREPARATION

1. Ignite the charcoal in the Big Green Egg and heat, with the Cast Iron Grid and the Baking Stone on top, to 200 °C. Put all the ingredients for the salt dough in a mixing bowl and knead until a coherent dough has formed. Add extra water or flour if required.
2. Take the red-legged partridges out of the refrigerator. Peel and mince the garlic and the shallot. Remove the leaves from the two sprigs of thyme, chop finely and mix with the shallot and garlic. Sprinkle the cavity of the partridges with pepper and salt and fill with the shallot mixture. Tie the legs of each partridge together with butcher’s twine to make sure that the filling can’t fall out. Pat dry the vine leaves and remove the skin of the partridges. Wrap each partridge in 3 slices of pancetta and then in the vine leaves.
3. Divide the salt dough into two equal-sized pieces and roll these out on a flour sprinkled worktop into two large circles that are each big enough to fold around a partridge. Place a partridge on each dough circle, fold the dough around it (leave the legs free) and gently press the seams of the dough together. Place the salt dough-covered partridges on the Baking Stone, close the lid of the EGG and leave to cook for approx. 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, wash the parsnips and cut them into 5 mm thick slices. Bring a pan with lightly salted water to the boil, add the parsnip slices and cook them al dente in about 2 minutes. Drain, drip dry and place them in a bowl. Remove the leaves from the last sprig of thyme, chop finely and sprinkle over the pre-cooked parsnip. Sprinkle with olive oil and pepper and salt to taste. Brush clean the ceps and halve them lengthwise. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
5. Remove the partridges from the EGG and use the EGGmitt to take out the Baking Stone. Place the parsnip slices and halved ceps on the grid and grill them for approx. 2.5 minutes on each side until the parsnip shows a nice grill pattern and the ceps are done.
6. Put the grilled parsnip slices and ceps back in the bowl, sprinkle with hazelnut oil and gently mix. Divide the parsnip slices and ceps among the plates. Mix the balsamic vinegar into the oil that has remained in the bowl to create a tasty dressing.
7. Cut into and break open the top of the salt dough. Remove the vine leaves, cut off the legs and fillets from the carcass. Place one leg and one fillet on each plate, add a dash of balsamic dressing and sprinkle with the coarsely chopped hazelnuts.