Tim Maddams
LATIN NAME
Lagopus lagopus scotica
SEASONALITY
England, Wales and Scotland: 12 August–10 December. Northern Ireland: 12 August–30 November
HABITAT
Moorland
MORE RECIPES
Pot-roasted mallard with celeriac and watercress
SOURCING
It’s known as the king of game birds and rightly so. In my opinion, grouse – or, more specifically, red grouse – is the tastiest of the tribe. In season from 12 August (‘The Glorious Twelfth’) until early December, birds shot earlier on are generally of that year’s brood (i.e. youngsters), with a greater proportion of older birds taken as the season progresses. It’s worth knowing this because age is everything with grouse. This is the most gamey of all game birds, due to its singular diet of heather, and the older the creature, the stronger the flavour.
Grouse are often seen as wild birds and, indeed, they are not reared and released like pheasants and partridges. However, their habitat is carefully managed. In order to ensure the survival of the maximum number, predators and pests are controlled, while heather on every successful grouse moor from Yorkshire to the Highlands is burned on a cyclical basis to rejuvenate the plants, providing ideal cover, nesting and feeding conditions. It’s fair to say that the grouse’s abundance is somewhat unnatural. However, land managed for grouse is beneficial for many other wild species too.
The very best young birds are wonderfully sweet and aromatic, as well as tender. My favourite way to cook them is simply roasted, served with a frugal garnish of fruit jelly and maybe a root vegetable purée. The roasting should start with a brief browning in a pan and be finished in a hot oven (220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7) for a mere 12 minutes or so – and the resting period should be at least as long as that.
Old grouse are far less tender so cooking them becomes a more considered affair. You can roast them, as in the recipe below, as long as you cook them at a lower temperature and for longer than the youngsters. But I often like to cook them slowly to really tenderise them – stewing them gently for pies or pasties, for instance. Pair them with strong flavours. Spices such as cinnamon and star anise work very well and Asian flavours like ginger and soy are up there too. Old grouse are also ideal candidates for smoking.
If you’re looking at a plucked bird, assessing the age is difficult. Size is a good indicator – very large grouse will be older birds, and their flesh is a deeper, richer red too. In the feather, it’s a little easier: older birds have more ragged plumage, harder, more damaged claws and possibly swelling in the foot joints. These signs are subtle and can be hard to spot at first, but comparison with other birds will quickly teach you the differences.
Hanging for grouse should be kept to a minimum: 2–5 days for older birds, 1–3 for young ones. I often eat young grouse the day after shooting: their sweetness is immense but lessens by the day.
ROAST GROUSE WITH BARLEY, APPLES AND SQUASH
This warming, one-pot dish is game cookery at its simplest and most delicious. Try it with wild duck too. Serves 2
400–500g chunk of squash, such as Crown Prince or butternut
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
2–3 sprigs of rosemary
5–6 sprigs of sage
100g pearl barley, or pearled spelt, soaked for 1 hour
1 oven-ready grouse
A small bunch of thyme
A large knob of butter
2 medium eating apples, such as Russets
½ glass of white wine or water
Sea salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
Peel and deseed the squash, then cut into large-bite-sized pieces and place in a roasting tin. Trickle over 1 tbsp oil, tear over the rosemary and sage leaves and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 35–40 minutes or until just tender and starting to caramelise around the edges.
Meanwhile, drain the soaked barley or spelt and place it in a pan. Cover with fresh water and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until just tender but still a bit nutty (it will cook further with the grouse): allow 15–20 minutes for soaked barley, a bit less if you are using spelt. Drain and set aside.
Season the grouse all over and place the thyme in its cavity. Heat a medium pan over a medium-high heat. Add the butter and remaining oil and, when bubbling, add the grouse. Brown it for 6–8 minutes, turning so that all sides are coloured, then remove.
Quarter and core the apples then add them to the squash roasting tin along with the barley or spelt, wine or water and a little more salt and pepper. Place the browned grouse in the middle and return to the hot oven for 20 minutes.
Remove and allow the bird to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. Serve the grouse legs and slices of the breast with spoonfuls of the barley, squash and apples.