Name: Roast Crown of Red Grouse with Beetroot and Blackcurrant Game Gravy
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 250 ml port wine; 2 bay leaves; 50 g blackcurrants (brambles or blaeberries are alternatives); 50 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes and set aside in the freezer to keep well-chilled; 750 ml red wine; 25 g extra bitter dark chocolate, finely grated; 1 tbsp thick heather honey; 4 large sprigs of thyme; 3 tbsp olive oil; 225 g beetroot, chopped small; 1 large onion, chopped small; 4 large dark flat mushrooms, chopped small; 1.5 litres pre-prepared game stock, home-made is best; Half a tsp black peppercorns; 8 grouse legs; 4 cloves; 6 juniper berries

Preparation info

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Three Chimneys

By Shirley Spear

Published 2010

About

You will need 4 young grouse for 4 people. You can buy them oven-ready from the butcher in season, but some readers will have access to their own supply. Either way, you must wash the birds inside and out and scrape away the remains of any feathers. Check for obvious shot. Carefully remove the legs and the base of the carcass from each bird, leaving the ‘crown’ intact (i.e. both breasts attached to the bone). The legs are used to make the sauce. Discard the base bone, which can impart a bit