Rich, tasty grouse is served with blackberry sauce and the earthy flavours of beetroot, celeriac and kale.
Ingredients
- For the red cabbage purée
- 75g/2½oz
butter - 600g/1lb 5oz
red cabbage, thinly sliced - 280ml/10fl oz
red wine - 50g/1¾oz soft
brown sugar - 2
star anise - ½
cinnamon stick - 5 tbsp
redcurrant jelly - 2 tbsp
red wine vinegar - sea
salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 75g/2½oz
- For the roasted grouse and blackberry sauce
- 1 tbsp
olive oil - 2
grouse, cleaned - 50g/1¾oz
butter - 1
shallot, thinly sliced - 1
garlic clove - 5 sprigs
thyme, leaves picked - 2
juniper berries, crushed - ½ fresh
bay leaf - 1 tbsp caster
sugar - 100ml/3½fl oz ruby
port - 150ml/5fl oz
chicken stock - 150g/5½oz
blackberries
- 1 tbsp
- For the celeriac and baby beetroots
- 2 tbsp
olive oil - 50g/1¾oz
butter - 1 large
celeriac, diced - 1 bunch baby
beetroots
- 2 tbsp
- For the kale
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted
butter - 1 head
kale, leaves removed and roughly chopped
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted
Preparation method
For the red cabbage purée, heat a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the butter and red cabbage and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until just softened.
Add the wine and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until the volume has reduced by half. Add the remaining ingredients and bring back to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
Remove the lid, turn the heat to high and cook for a further 5-8 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the red cabbage is slightly sticky and glossy. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to cool slightly then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
Meanwhile, for the grouse, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Heat the oil in a small ovenproof frying pan. Season the grouse and add to the pan. Fry quickly on all sides until lightly browned. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Set aside to rest before serving.
To make the sauce, heat a saucepan and add most of the butter. Once hot, add the shallot, garlic and thyme and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until softened.
Add the rest of the ingredients, apart from the blackberries, and cook for 5-8 minutes, until reduced a little in volume. Just before serving pass through a sieve and return the liquid to the pan. Add the remaining of butter and the blackberries.
For the celeriac and baby beetroots, heat two small frying pans. Once hot, add half the oil and butter to each pan. Add the celeriac to one pan and the baby beetroots to the other and cook for 6-8 minutes. Let the beetroots cool then peel and cut them in half.
To cook the kale, heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the kale leaves and two tablespoons of water and cook until wilted down.
To serve, place the red cabbage purée on the plates. Put a spoonful of the kale on top. Cut the grouse into pieces and put on the plates. Place the celeriac and beetroots around the grouse and spoon the blackberry sauce over the top.