Grouse with blackberry jus, game chips and seasonal vegetables

Though August may be over, grouse are still in season and as delicious as ever, when cooked right. Though I have sadly been stuck in London for the past month, my local butcher kindly sourced me a brace of grouse, fresh from the Yorkshire moors. When combined with other seasonal ingredients such as blackberries, along with the always necessary game chips, they make quite the feast.

INGREDIENTS:

• A brace of grouse
• 500g goose fat or lard
• 30g butter
• 2 cloves garlic (smashed)
• 25g fresh thyme
• Salt and black pepper for seasoning

Spiced parsnip puree:

• 4-6 parsnips, depending on size
• 40g butter
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• Half pint of whole milk

Baked beetroot:

• 5 medium sized beetroot
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 25g fresh thyme

Blackberry jus:

• 350g blackberries (wild brambles if you have, if out of season frozen blackberries are usually superior to fresh supermarket ones)
• 2 banana shallots
• 350ml red wine
• 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 350ml chicken stock

Game chips:

• 4 large potatoes (Maris Piper or equivalent)
• 1 litre sunflower oil

Buttered kale:

• 200g kale
• 25g butter

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Grouse:

1. Using a sharp knife, separate the legs from the crown of the grouse.
2. Melt the goose fat or lard in a saucepan on a low heat. There should be enough to completely submerge the grouse legs. When melted, add the garlic and the thyme. Add the grouse legs. When beginning to boil, place in the oven for a couple of hours.
3. Place an oven proof frying pan on the hob, and add a generous spoonful of goose fat or lard. Fry the grouse crowns all over for a few minutes and add some butter, letting the meat brown. Season with salt, pepper and thyme, then place in the oven for five to seven minutes. Remove from the oven, and leave to rest for another five or so minutes.
4. Serve the drained legs alongside the roasted crown. Remove the breasts from the crown if you so wish.

Blackberry jus:

Finely dice two shallots. Add one tablespoon or so of oil to a saucepan, place over a medium heat and add the diced shallot. Cook until soft and translucent, adding water if necessary to stop it burning. Then add the chicken stock, red wine, redcurrant jelly, blackberries. Turn the heat to high. Bring to the boil and reduce until glossy and of the desired consistency. Remove from the heat.

Game chips:

1. Coarsely grate the potatoes, and place in a large bowl. Wash several times with cold water, to remove some of the starch. Drain and place in a tea towel, wrapping the grated potato up and wringing the towel to squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Then put the grated potato into a mixing bowl. Season with salt and garam masala.
2. Add the oil to a deep pot and place over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the grated potato. Do not add it all at once, as you will be covered with burning oil. Instead deep fry the potato in batches, removing when golden and crisp, and placing in a sieve lined with kitchen paper.

Baked beetroot:

Peel the beetroot and roughly dice. Spread tin foil on a baking tray, and drizzle with oil. Add the beetroot, salt, and thyme leaves, mixing them together with your hands. Fold the tin foil over so that the beetroot cubes are sealed. Put in the oven. Remove when the beetroot is soft – it will take at least an hour, depending on how large the cubes of beetroot are.

Spiced parsnip puree:

Peel, quarter, core and then roughly chop the parsnips. Melt butter in a pan over a medium heat. When beginning to bubble, add the parsnips, and season with salt and a generous helping of garam masala. When the parsnips have begun to brown, pour in chicken stock and bring to the boil. Continue to add liquid as necessary, until the parsnips are soft. Towards the end of the process, add the milk and cook until there are only a few tablespoons of liquid left. Be sure to stir occasionally so the parsnips do not burn. Remove from heat. Blitz with a handheld food processor, adding more milk if necessary. Be careful not to over blend, or it will turn into wallpaper paste.

Buttered kale:

Wash the kale and remove any thick sections of stem. Roughly chop the leaves. Place a medium-sized knob of butter in a pan, add the kale, and season generously with salt. Cook over a high heat, stirring occasionally to stop the kale from burning on the bottom. Remove from heat when the leaves are tender.