On the first day of our 12-part Christmas series celebrating Scottish makers, producers and artists, we show how to make partridge (and pear) the star of Christmas dinner with a little help from a top online warehouse.

Technically, the first day of Christmas served up a big fat lie. Because for all its strengths as a flavoursome member of the game meat family, it's probably best to clarify that there's one thing that a partridge would never do - and that's make its home in a pear tree.

That's not to say that the two can't meet in the afterlife, however (more of this to come). But during its life, a partridge makes its home exclusively on the ground, usually nesting in bushes or hedgerows.

And while your average partridge is more familiar with soil than soft fruit, the bird is perfectly suited to the sweetness of pear in cooking - provided the bird is cooked in such a way that preserves the natural juices and retains flavour.

Campbells Prime Meats is a 21st century version of the local butcher shop in the form of an online warehouse complete with in-house butchers and fishmongers offering game, fish and meats delivered to customers' doorsteps.

Among its produce, red partridge features, sourced from within a 40-mile radius of Burnside Farm near Kelso. The company uses these birds specifically to support local Scottish businesses, rather than importing the meat from England or the continent.

From Campbells, butcher Gerry Neilson explains how to make partridge the star of Christmas dinner this festive season.

"Partridge is a fantastic accompaniment to Christmas dinner because it's high in protein and low in fat, so it's a good choice for a leaner alternative to beef or red meat.

"It goes well with all the root vegetables that are also in season and are cheaply available at this time of year, and works well with a fruit stuffing such as herb and apricot.

"The trick with partridge is to keep it moist. It's an all too common mistake to let the meat dry out in the oven, so be mindful of the cooking time.

"An oven-ready bird needs little preparation and is delicious roasted and served with gravy made from the cooking juices.

"Partridges are small birds with lean meat that tends to dry out with cooking. A handy tip is to roast the bird with bacon over the breast and a little bit of butter in between which will create a layer of moisture and protect the breast meat. Then roast in a hot oven for 30 minutes - it doesn't need any longer.

"It's also important to let the meat rest after cooking. Keep the partridge somewhere warm for about ten minutes after it comes out of the oven, which will allow the juices to run back into the meat. Don't overcook the bird; this is the cardinal sin and makes the meat tough."

Campbells Prime Meat is offering HeraldScotland readers an exclusive 10% discount over the festive period by using the voucher code CPMPART10 at the online checkout. Visit www.campbellsmeat.comfor more details. Order before December 12 to ensure delivery in time for Christmas day.

How to make the ultimate roast partridge with caramelised pears and streaky bacon

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 oven ready partridges

4 rashers of streaky bacon

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Butter

200ml red wine

1 bay leaf

1 tsp cornflour

Cranberry jelly

Caramelised pears

Salt and pepper

Method

1  Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 5.

2  Carefully rinse the birds and pat dry.

3  Rub the bird all over with softened butter, especially over the breast and thighs. Season with salt and pepper.

4  Place the rosemary sprig in the cavity with a small dot of butter.

5  Cover the breasts with two rashers of bacon.

6  Transfer the prepared birds breast side up in a roasting tin and place in the hot oven.

7  After 10 minutes remove the bacon strips (keep them aside), baste the birds with the cooking juices and roast for another 15 - 20 min.

8  Remove the birds from the oven and set aside and allow to rest for 10-15 min. Strain the cooking juices from the roasting tin into a small sauce pan.

9  Add the red wine, bring to a boil and allow to reduce by 1/3. Mix in a little cornflour to thicken the gravy. Season with salt and pepper and refine with 1/2 tsp of red currant jelly.

10  Peel the pears and cut them into wedges. Pan fry the wedges in butter and sugar to make them caramelised.

11  Serve one partridge each on a plate with the gravy. Decorate the partridge with the roasted bacon strips and caramelised pears.

12  Accompany with seasonal vegetable, potatoes and red currant jelly - or even rowan jelly if you can find it.