For me, autumn always means the start of cooking with glorious game.
As the leaves begin to fall, the thought of the fresh birds being delivered by my trusted gamekeeper gets my heart racing and fills me with excitement every year.
We’re so incredibly lucky here in Scotland to have access to such an outstanding selection of fine, seasonal game.
The whole process of preparing game gives me such a thrill, from the plucking to the preparation, to cooking the birds and matching them with the best seasonal produce the way nature intended.
Cooking game at home is a lot easier than you might think so don’t be afraid to try it.
It just takes time to understand the right method of handling the wonderful ingredient which is something I instil the importance of in all my chefs.
The key for me is in making sure absolutely nothing goes to waste.
You can even use the carcass to make a delicious game consommé.
Using all of the different cuts means you can enjoy such a spectrum of flavours and create so many glorious dishes.
You’ll be enjoying them right through autumn and into winter.
SCOTTISH GROUSE WITH ROASTED PUMPKIN, JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES AND BEETROOT WITH HAZELNUT DRESSING
SERVES 2
FOR THE GROUSE
2 grouse, prepared and wrapped in bacon
1tbsp vegetable oil
50g/2oz celeriac, chopped into 1cm/
50g/2oz carrots, chopped into 1cm/
50g/2oz celery, chopped into 1cm/
10 baby onions
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1tbsp brandy
250ml/9fl oz chicken stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE ROASTED VEGETABLES
2 beetroot, peeled and quartered
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Jerusalem artichokes
1kg/2lb 2oz pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed
Olive oil, for frying
50g/2oz hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1tbsp chopped chives
50ml/2fl oz hazelnut oil
1tsp sherry vinegar, or to taste
Handful watercress sprigs
FOR THE GROUSE
Take the grouse out of the fridge so that they can come to room temperature before you start cooking, and preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed roasting tin. Season the grouse well, inside and out, then sear them in the tin until golden brown all over.
Add the diced vegetables, baby onions and thyme sprigs to the tin.
Place the grouse on one breast and roast in the hot oven for three to four minutes. Flip the birds onto the other breast and roast for another three minutes.
Pour brandy into the cavity of both birds and place them on their back to finish roasting – another five minutes.
Remove the tin from the oven and leave the grouse to rest for 10 minutes, out of the tin, breast upwards so the juices are evenly distributed. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon for later use, and set aside all the pan juices.
Put the roasting tin back on the heat on top of the stove and begin to reduce the cooking juices. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and let the sauce reduce and thicken. Take off the heat and pass through a fine sieve – keep warm until ready to serve.
FOR THE ROASTED VEGETABLES
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Place the beetroot quarters into a saucepan and pour in enough water to cover. Add salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the beetroot is nearly cooked. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, peel the Jerusalem artichokes, cut them in half and immerse in a bowl of cold water with the lemon juice added to stop them discolouring.
Cut the pumpkin into thick slices.
Heat a large, non-stick ovenproof frying pan (or a cast-iron roasting pan) over a medium-high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place the pumpkin and Jerusalem artichokes into the pan, season with salt and cook for three to four minutes, until they start to colour. Transfer the whole pan to the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Cut the par-cooked beetroot into wedges, add to the pan and cook in the oven for a further five minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine the chopped hazelnuts, shallots, chives and hazelnut oil in a bowl. Add a splash of sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
TO SERVE
Once the grouse have rested, carve the legs and breast meat on to a plate and spoon over the pan juices.
Serve the roasted vegetables alongside with the dressing and watercress on top.
GAME CONSOMMÉ
SERVES 4-6
1kg of grouse carcasses (or pheasant, partridge or woodcock work just as well)
2tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 large onion, quartered
1 bouquet garni
200g game trimmings
4 egg whites
Salt and pepper
Garnish – a few diced root vegetables (optional)
TO MAKE THE STOCK
Preheat the oven to 200°C / Gas 6. Roast the game carcasses with the oil until golden brown – about 30 minutes. Put the carcasses in a large pan with two to three litres of cold water. Over a medium heat, bring the water to simmering point, removing any scum that floats to the top with a ladle. Add the vegetables and bouquet garni and leave to simmer for one and a half hours. Strain the stock, cool and refrigerate.
TO CLARIFY THE STOCK
Put the game trimmings into a food processor with the egg whites and blitz until a fine paste is formed. Remove any fat from the top of the stock and pour into a pan. Add the paste and mix well with a wooden spoon. Put the pan on the stove and heat, stirring constantly so the paste doesn’t catch at the bottom of the pan.
When the stock reaches 60-70°C a crust will start to form. Lower the heat, stop stirring and leave the consommé to cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes. At the end of this time, a thick, fatty crust will have developed on top, leaving a clear consommé underneath.
TO SERVE
Blanch the root vegetables in boiling water if using. Carefully remove a bit of the crust and scoop out the consommé with a ladle. Pass it through a sieve lined with a fine muslin cloth and check the seasoning. Pour the consommé into bowls and add the cubes of root vegetables.
WOOD PIGEON SALAD
SERVES 4
3 wood pigeon (wrapped in bacon)
2 chicory leaves
2 baby gem lettuce – cut in half
50g whole walnuts
300g celeriac
100ml mayonnaise
2 shallots (cut into rings)
50g parsley leaves
50ml olive oil
25ml aged balsamic vinegar
8 new potatoes (cooked and sliced)
Juice from half a lemon
Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan and add olive oil. Season the wood pigeon with salt and pepper and colour all over until golden. Place the wood pigeon in the oven for six minutes before removing it and leaving it to rest on a cooling wire. Cut the celeriac into thin strips and mix with mayonnaise, salt and pepper and the lemon juice.
TO SERVE
Place the chicory leaves, baby gem lettuce and the cooked and sliced potatoes on a plate.
Add the celeriac, shallot rings and walnuts. Remove the pigeon from the bone and place on top and drizzle over some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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