Roast British red grouse with red leaves and vegetable recipe

Ingredients

• 4 prime, new season’s, freshly plucked and gutted grouse, legs removed, room temperature
• 8 small red beetroot, washed
• 2 purple carrots, washed
• 1 small bunch of thyme
• 50 g hazelnut oil
• 500 g cherries, de-stoned, keep 8 for garnish
• 100 g cranberry juice
• 2 red endive, 16 leaves separated
• 1 red radicchio, 16 leaves, separated
• 100 ml of dry sherry
• 1 orange, juiced, 80 g
• 100 ml dry sherry
• 4 baby red onions, peeled, cut in half
• 20 g balsamic vinegar
• 200 ml brown chicken stock (buy fresh from a top supermarket)
• 10 g dried blackcurrant powder (from health food shops)
• Sea salt
• 200 g grape seed oil

• 60 g table salt
• 3 litres water
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half
• 8 juniper berries, gently crushed
• 12 borage shoots
• 12 land of sea shoots
• 12 Pennywort
• Lemon zest and juice

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Season the beetroots and carrots lightly with salt.
3. Wrap individually with foil and 1 sprig of thyme. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.
4. Remove from the foil and remove the skins using a damp cloth.
5. Portion the beetroot into segments and portion the carrots into 1 cm rounds, set aside.
6. Warm the beetroots and carrots in the oven, lightly brushed with hazelnut oil ready for serving.
Cherries
7. Take 8 de-stoned cherries and set aside for plating up.
8. Place the rest of the cherries and cranberry into a sauce pan and bring to the boil.
9. Continue to boil the cherries till there is no liquid left.
10. Place this mix into a blender and blend till you have a smooth purée.
Red Endive and Radicchio
11. In a sauce pan melt the butter until it foams then remove from the heat.
12. Add the red endive and red radicchio and lightly colour.
13. Add the sherry and orange juice to the pan and make an emulsion.
14. Leave in a warm place until serving.
Baby Red Onions
15. Preheat the oven 160°C.
16. Heat a little grape seed oil in a frying pan on the stove.
17. Add the red onions, cut side down, colour until dark golden brown.
18. Once coloured, flip the onions over and place into the oven.
19. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until soft, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
20. Carefully separate the layers of the onions, brush with the balsamic vinegar and keep in a warm place.
Cooking the Grouse
21. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
22. Bring all the ingredients of the poaching liquid to 70°C.
23. Place the grouse in this liquid and continue to cook at this temperature for 9 minutes or until the grouse firms up.
24. After 9 minutes take out of the liquid with a slotted spoon. Drain the grouse onto kitchen paper towel and continue to dry the whole crown of the grouse. Discard the poaching liquid.
25. Heat a frying pan with a little grape seed oil and season the grouse with a little salt.
26. Pan fry the grouse and colour the whole crown golden brown.
27. Once coloured, place the grouse into the oven and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes or until equivalent to medium rare steak temperature, 50-52°C.
28. Remove from the oven, take out of the pan and rest. Place the frying pan back onto the heat, add the sherry and reduce by two thirds.
29. Add the stock and continue to reduce by two thirds or until sauce consistency. Once reduced set aside.
30. Carve the breasts from the grouse and keep warm in the sauce.
To Serve
31. Dot the cherry purée around the plate.
32. Place the beetroot, carrot and red onion around the plate.
33. Drain the endive and radicchio and place around the plate.
34. Slice the breasts in half, length ways, and place around the centre of the plate.
35. Sauce with the juices from the grouse pan, in and around the breast and vegetables.
36. Finish with a sprinkling of blackcurrant powder.