The British, or grey partridge, has delicate and tender flesh which, when young, is pale in colour and most flavoursome. It is a small bird, a whole one provides one portion. It is best hung for a few days, more would make the meat more gamey and any good game dealer or butcher will sell partridge ready to cook. The legs can be used in game pies or puddings. Wood pigeons tend to feast on corn and other cereal crops and so, by the time autumn comes around, they make for fine eating.
Young birds are the best for roasting to ensure tender meat which is dark and very rich and gamey.
Older birds get tougher with age and are best braised slowly with vegetables or used for stock for soups and sauces. The richness of pigeon is complemented by other strong flavours like gin, brandy, port and dried fruit like prunes and it is good served with braised red cabbage, lentils or cabbage and bacon. Brown trout can be hard to source as it is farmed on a very small scale but it is worth the trouble. Its fine flavour is quite delicious, some argue far superior to that of rainbow trout. Late summer sees the appearance of tender, young sweetcorn in the shops and markets.