Make the stock in advance if you have the time, it does make better gravy.

Roast or fry the necks, wings and giblets from the birds in a little oil for 10 minutes, until nicely browned.

Roughly chop them up and put in small pan with bay leaf, carrot and sliced onion, wine and enough water to cover by a good 5cm.

Bring to the boil and simmer gently for an hour or two, topping up if necessary.

Then strain – first through a colander, then through muslin into a clean pan.

Boil until reduced by about half so you have a cup or so of well flavoured stock for your gravy.

Prepare the birds by smearing a little soft butter or olive oil over the breasts and covering each one with 2 streaky bacon rashers.

Place in roasting tin and put in centre of very hot oven.

Remove the bacon from the birds after 8-10 minutes and take it out of the oven if its as crisp as you’d like it to be.

At this point baste the birds with any fat in the tin.

About 15 minutes in total should be enough to cook a small partridge, 20 minutes for a large bird.

Rest birds for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the gravy.

To make the gravy – skim off any excess fat from the roasting tin.

Sprinkle a teaspoon of flour over the juices in the tin and scraping up any crispy bits and mixing them with the flour and juices.

Use a splash of wine and a little of the reserved stock to loosen the gravy.

Strain all the liquid through a sieve into small saucepan.

Whisk in the rest of the stock and bring to the boil.

Taste adding a little redcurrant jelly if required.