• 4 whole partridge (about 500 g/1 lb 2 oz each)
• 4 thyme sprigs, chopped
• 1 rosemary sprig, leaves only, roughly chopped
• 1 handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 80 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 80 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) aged sherry vinegar
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) olive oil
• ½ brown onion, extra, finely diced
• ¼ green cabbage, cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) squares
• 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) white wine

Trim the birds by trimming off the neck and the wings to the first joint.

Make the marinade by mixing together the herbs, carrot, onion, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, sherry vinegar and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a non-metallic container large enough to hold the partridges. Put the partridges, breast side down, in the marinade. Baste them with the marinade a few times and put some of the marinade in the cavities of the birds. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).

Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium heat and sauté the extra onion for 10–12 minutes until golden brown. Stir in the cabbage. Tip out the marinade from the cavities of the partridges and place the birds on top of the cabbage, breast side down. Strain the marinating liquid into the dish. Add the white wine and enough water to almost cover the birds — about three-quarters of the way up. Bring to the boil over high heat.

Cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the lid, turn the birds, breast side up, and cook for a further 20 minutes to brown the birds a little. At this stage the liquid should have reduced to halfway up the birds. When cooked, the leg meat should be soft and come away from the bone.

Remove the partridges from the dish, cover with foil and set aside near the oven or stovetop to keep warm. Return the casserole dish to the stovetop over high heat and cook for 10–15 minutes, or until the cooking juices have reduced by one-third and thickened slightly. Season to taste.

Make a bed of cabbage on four warmed serving plates and place a whole bird on top. Spoon over the sauce and serve.