There are two write ups and recipes for Grouse on this page for your Perusal 

BACK                  HOME    

Grouse 
Many gourmets would say grouse is an acquired taste.
Grouse, along with teal and partridge, needs carefully handling.
But cooked properly, it can be delicious. 
The birds are sold with the hearts and liver still inside.
Pull these out because they can be served separately. 
The legs and carcasses we cut off after par roasting to use for the sauce.
The meat is very dark and lean, smells quite strong and should only ever
be served cooked pink. It has very little fat so must be 'barbed', that is
thin pork fat strips should be tied to the breast. Allow one bird per head.
If you think don't like the flavour, give it another go. It's an acquired taste.
Fine claret is a must to drink with it. Right, here goes.
Ingredients Method
  • 2 grouse, oven-ready and barbed with pork fat
  • 3tbsp olive oil
  • about 75g butter, melted and hot
  • a handful of chopped root vegetables, e.g. carrots, turnips, celery
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 6 juniper berries
  • 200ml red wine
  • 500ml dark chicken stock
  • 2 slices white bread
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

 

 

 

 Heat the oven to 200ºC (Gas Mark 6). Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan and brown the birds all over, pressing the flesh onto the hot pan with your hands wrapped in a cloth.

When colored all over, place in a roasting dish standing upright, if possible, and season. Roast for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the size, basting once or twice with the butter. Then remove from the oven and stand up to drain.

After about 5 minutes, remove the whole breasts from the birds and place on butter papers. Set aside, they should be nice and pink inside. Chop up the legs and carcasses and return to the oven to roast for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a large saucepan and brown the chopped root vegetables until nicely caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted legs and bones plus the juniper berries and wine. Cook until the wine has reduced right down then pour in the stock.

Bring to the boil and simmer until reduced by two thirds. Chop the livers and hearts and add to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Drain through a sieve and check the seasoning. (Alternatively, you could fry the heart and liver separately in extra butter, then make it into a simple paste in a food processor, seasoning to taste. This could be used for serving on the croûtes. See below.

To reheat the grouse breasts, place them cut side down on the butter papers and return to the oven for about 3 more minutes to just heat through. Do not let them overcook. They must be pink.

Cut out heart shape croûtes with the bread, or simply cut into neat, crust less triangles. Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan and fry the bread both sides until crisp and golden. Drain and cool. If you've used the hearts and liver in a paste, spread it on the croûtes.

Cut each breast into three slices. Serve with hot buttery Savoy cabbage (which could be mixed with lardons) and some sauté potatoes. Place the croûtes on top of the breasts. Old fashioned Bread Sauce is a good accompaniment. Fine claret is a must to drink with grouse. Remember, if you don't like the flavour of grouse this time give it another try later. It is an acquired taste.

Serves: 2

BACK                  HOME          

Grouse 

Of the four grouse varieties in Scotland

Capercaillie or Cock o' the Woods, Black Grouse,

White Grouse or Ptarmigan and Red Scotch Grouse,

the last is thought by gourmets to be the finest game bird in the world.

Found only in Scotland and the very north of England in any number,

there are a few in North Wales and Ireland.

Scots like grouse hung for a week in warm weather and at least 10 days

in cold to give them a 'gamy' flavour. The young ones are usually roasted,

the older birds being kept for casserole dishes, pies or pâtés.

They are so good that the simplest ways of cooking them are the best.

Grouse is not usually stuffed, but in the Highlands small wild mountain

raspberries, rowan berries or wild cranberries are mixed with butter

and put inside the birds. The fruit almost melts away during cooking,

but the spicy, buttery juice seeps through. Outside Scotland, this recipe

should spice any grouse you can get your hands on. Accompaniments

include watercress, fried oatmeal or Skirlie/Mealie pudding,

fried bread crumbs, rowan or cranberry jelly, or pickled peaches.

Remember, older birds can be quite tough.

You may need to add thin sheets of pork fat over the bird if it is very lean

Do not overcook.

Ingredients

  • 2 young grouse
  • 6 rashers fat bacon
  • 1/2 cup) port or claret
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • juice of 1 lemon or wild raspberries, etc.
  • sprigs of heather (if available) soaked in 2 tblesps whisky
  • 1/2 lb seeded, peeled white grapes
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

Wrap birds in bacon rashers and whisky-soaked heather sprigs. Mix walnut-sized piece of butter with squeeze of lemon, salt, pepper (or wild fruits). Place inside body of each bird. Place birds in roasting pan. Add remainder of butter to pan, cook in oven at 400°F (205°C) for 10 minutes. Add port or claret, baste well, return to oven for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove birds from pan, take off bacon, heather, keep warm. Reduce gravy on stove top, serve separately. Serve the grouse with game chips, bread sauce. Accompany with bowl of peeled, seeded white grapes in their own juice.

Serves: Serves 4.

BACK                  HOME            ORDER