If you are not lucky enough to live on your own landed country estate, you may not know that today, the twelfth of August or the ‘ Glorious Twelfth ‘. This is the start of the game shooting season in the United Kingdom. As enshrined by the Game Act of 1831. Actually, it is the start for the unfortunate Red Grouse and, to a much lesser extent, the Ptarmigan*. If you are lucky enough to own, have worked on, or visited a game shoot, you will know this is one of the busiest and most lucrative days of the season.
What is the Glorious Twelfth?
The aim of the Glorious Twelfth is for large amounts of game to be bagged or shot. A grouse moor is valued by the number of brace ( a pair of grouse shot ). Accordingly, the prices can reach into the tens of millions of pounds. Why? Well, there are plenty of people prepared to pay a lot of money to shoot grouse. And to dress up in tweeds and eat and drink lots.
I take a sanguine approach to life and expect the whole shebang is jolly good fun. However, what I know is that correctly prepared grouse is tender and delicate. It is also rich and fragrant and well worth the cost ( at least for a brace ). Traditionally, there is a race between many of London’s grand hotels and gentlemen’s clubs. Much acclaim is given to those who get the first birds shot, cleaned up, roasted and on the table.
*Not all game have the same start to their open seasons. Most begin on September 1, with October 1 for Woodcock and Pheasant.
Why Eat Game?
Game refers to animals such as wild boar, deer and rabbits, and birds like grouse and pheasant. Traditionally, these would have been hunted in the wild, although some are now farmed. Because wild animals are more active, game is usually leaner than farm-reared meat like beef and pork. Because of this game is often slow-cooked in stews and casseroles. Game has a distinct flavour that is sweet and earthy, and varies depending on what type of game you are eating. These flavours are often allowed to develop when game is ‘hung’, for a period of a few days to mature.
If you like classic British cookery, why not try my recipe for Beef and Ale Pie, delicious Beer-battered Fish and Chips, or a traditional Sunday Roast Sirloin of Beef and Red Wine Gravy.
What to drink with Grouse?
In the traditional Gentlemen’s Clubs around St. James in London your grouse would be accompanied by a fine and rather expensive Burgundy. If your budget is like mine and a little more restrictive, a punchy New World Pinot Noir will be a perfect accompaniment. If you like your game a little more well hung why not pair it with a traditional oaky Rioja.
My Roast Grouse
My recipe combines all the elements of a classic roast game bird. It is garnished with watercress, toasted breadcrumbs, and bread sauce. The cooking includes some classic techniques that you can transfer to other recipes. You can ask your friendly butcher or game supplier to pluck and draw your birds for you. Especially if you have not bought them back straight from the moor.
Roast Grouse
Ingredients
For the grouse and gravy
- 2 fresh young Grouse
- 50 gr softened Butter
- 4 rashers Streaky Bacon
- 200 gr Mirepoix freshly made
- 150 ml good quality Madeira fortified wine or similar fortified wine
- 1 tablespoon Redcurrant Jelly
- Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
For the bread sauce
For the game breadcrumbs
- 6 tablespoons Butter
- 2 handfuls fresh White Breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon Dry Sherry
- 2 tablespoon freshly chopped Parsley
- Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
For the garnish
- 1 bunch of watercress thoroughly washed
Equipment
- 1 Deep- sided roasting tray
Instructions
For the grouse and gravy
- Heat the oven to 200C/ 400F/ Gas Mark 6. Prepare the grouse by washing and thoroughly drying each bird with paper toweling. Liberally season the cavities with plenty of salt and pepper and place a teaspoon of butter and redcurrant jelly inside.
- Rub a good teaspoon of soft butter on each breast, then using the back of a cooks knife stretch out the bacon on a chopping board. Wrap each bird carefully with two pieces of bacon.
- Put both birds in a small roasting tin and place in the center of the oven for 18-25 minutes: Eighteen minutes for young birds and twenty-five minutes for larger ones. After the first ten minutes of cooking add the mirepoix to the roasting pan.
- Remove from the oven when done and tip any juices from the body cavity of each bird back into the tin before transferring the grouse to a warmed serving platter. The legs should be just cooked (please don’t be alarmed by their faint bloodiness — this is how they should be eaten) and the birds perfectly pink at the breastbone.
- Put the roasting tin over a medium heat on the stove and add the Madeira. Bring to a vigorous boil, scraping to lift the sediment from the bottom of the pan, and reduce the liquid by a third. Check the seasoning.
- Melt in the remaining redcurrant jelly. Strain into a small pan, return to the heat and finish by whisking in the remaining butter until glossy.
For the bread sauce
- Stud the peeled onion with the cloves and bay leaf, this is technically called a cloute. Place it in a small saucepan with the milk and bring to a very gentle simmer over a low heat.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes, to allow the flavours to infuse the milk, taking care not to let the milk boil over. You can do this two hours before roasting and leave to steep.
- Strain the milk through a sieve into a clean pan and return to the heat, discarding the onion. Stir the butter into the milk then remove from the heat. Whisk the bread into the hot milk until it forms a smooth sauce.
- Season to taste with salt, white pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. To prevent a skin forming, cover the sauce with a piece of buttered greaseproof paper until ready to serve, this is called a cartouche.
For the game breadcrumbs
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat. Tip in the breadcrumbs and fry gently for about 5 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Stirring continuously to prevent burning.
- Pour in the sherry stirring constantly and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the parsley and season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Place the grouse on two warm plates and garnish with breadcrumbs and watercress. Pour over a little of the pan gravy and serve with the remaining juices and the bread sauce served on the side.
Notes
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