French cooks refer to the bird as the Spanish partridge. But it isn't just in France where the fowl is considered a dish fit for a king, featured in select cookbooks and served at sumptuous banquets. As for recipes these days, one of the most common is partridge in pickled sauce, a concession to the game's strong flavor.

Partridge in chocolate sauce goes back to the 17th century when the sweet was brought over to Spain from Mexico. The sauce served with the bird is thickened with bitter cacao, and sugar is added to lower the acidity and make the sauce shiny.

When choosing a partridge, age is important. Examine the beak and the base of the breastbone. If both are tender, that is to say they bend easily, the bird is young. Then it can be roasted, braised, stuffed or simply saut�ed slowly over a low flame.

Farm-bred partridges are usually raised and fattened with grain, and sometimes gorged on wheat in the final two weeks. They are generally more tender because they are younger and have never flown. But they also lack that wild touch that non-farm birds have. Shooting partridges also tend to come from farms and usually have not eaten in the final days since they only do so in nesting boxes. Partridges hunted in the wild differ depending on whether they died in the countryside or were hunted by hand.

The ideal side dishes with partridges are vegetables, white beans and mushrooms. They go well with the tender meat of young birds.

If the bird is not so young and the meat is tougher, you can make salmis, slow-braised dishes and stews. Keep an eye out as you cook them so the meat does not get even tougher, or fall apart. It is best to separate the legs from the breast so they cook at the same time. Legs need more cooking. And here is hint: to get the breasts just right, place some bacon bits inside.

In conclusion, another recipe not to be missed is partridge stuffed with ham and bacon, then poached in white wine with spices and vegetables. A true delicacy.