The first grouse of the season is one of the ingredients I always get excited to welcome into the kitchen. Its small, plump, perfect little body, the rich, dark, dense meat and its utterly unique wild herbaceous aroma sets my heart racing and mind spinning in anticipation of the feast to come.

A rare treat for the majority of us, grouse is most often cooked and served in the traditional manner with game chips and bread sauce, which, of course, is delicious. Due to the meat’s rather bold and complex flavour, however, I also think it works brilliantly with the abundant fresher, fruitier late-summer crops.

Pairing grouse with creamy courgettes and sour lemon, fruity juicy tomatoes and spicy smoked sweetcorn, are a perfect example of just how versatile this glorious bird can be.

TRIO OF DELICIOUS GROUSE RECIPES TO TRY THIS YEAR

SPATCHCOCKED BBQ GROUSE WITH COURGETTE, PRESERVED LEMON AND RICOTTA SALAD

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 grouse, spatchcocked

Grouse marinade

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with a little salt

2 tsp thyme, finely chopped

2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil plus a little extra for cooking

Courgette dressing

4 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

60g preserved lemon, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a little salt

2 tbsp basil, finely sliced

2 medium courgettes (approximately 650g)

To serve

50g rocket

200g ricotta

2 tbsp nigella seeds

 

METHOD

Grouse marinade

In a bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. 

Spread the marinade into a dish and place the grouse flesh side down. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.

 

Courgette dressing

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. Check to see whether it needs salt, as some preserved lemons can be quite salty.

Thinly slice the courgettes, then on a hot grill or barbecue, grill both sides until lightly charred. Toss into the dressing.

 

To cook the grouse

Lightly oil and season the skin side of the grouse, then grill for around three minutes each side on a medium grill. I like the breasts so they are still just pink.

 

To serve

Place a little rocket on the plate along with a pile of courgettes. Top with the grouse, spoonfuls of ricotta and sprinkle on the nigella seeds. Drizzle with any extra courgette dressing and serve.

 

ROASTED WHOLE GROUSE WITH CHERRY TOMATO, AUBERGINE AND FETA BAKE TOPPED WITH FRIED BREAD, CAPERS AND ANCHOVIES

Ingredients

Serves 4

Cherry tomato, aubergine and feta bake

2 medium aubergines (approximately 450g), roughly chopped

2 red peppers, roughly chopped

400g cherry tomatoes

4 tbsp oregano, roughly chopped

2 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped

300ml rosé or dry white wine

100ml water

4 tbsp olive oil plus an extra 1 tbsp

400g feta

 

Fried bread

4 slices of sourdough

6 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp capers

8 anchovies, roughly chopped

 

Grouse

4 whole oven-ready grouse

8 sprigs thyme

8 sprigs rosemary

8 sprigs oregano

4 tbsp olive oil

 

METHOD

Cherry tomato, aubergine and feta bake

Preheat oven to 180°C fan/gas mark 6.

In a bowl, season and mix everything apart from the feta and extra olive oil, then scoop into a baking dish.

Cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, then top with the feta in a block and drizzle over the extra oil.

Bake in the oven for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the fried bread.

 

Fried bread

Roughly cut the bread and toss in a bowl with the oil.

Fry in a pan on a medium heat until lightly golden, then stir in the capers and anchovies. Cook for another 30 seconds, then scoop on to a plate.

 

To cook the grouse

Stuff each grouse with 1 sprig of thyme, rosemary and oregano. Season inside and out. Rub with oil.

In an oven-safe pan on a medium heat, brown the grouse on all sides, place breast down and roast on the top shelf of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Leave the birds to rest for a couple of minutes and swap the roasted herbs for the remaining fresh ones.

 

To serve

Serve the cooked grouse with the fried bread and hot roasted vegetables and feta.

 

PAN-FRIED GROUSE BREAST TACOS WITH SPICY GRILLED CORN SALSA AND SOUR CREAM

Ingredients

Serves 4

8 grouse breasts

 

Grouse marinade

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp fresh oregano

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp lime juice

Pinch of salt

4 tsp rapeseed or olive oil plus a little extra for grilling

 

Grilled corn salsa

2 corn on the cobs

8 spring onions

12 radishes

16 cherry tomatoes, chopped

½ cucumber, finely chopped

30g coriander, finely chopped, plus extra to serve

1/2 green chilli, finely chopped

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

 

To serve

12 soft corn taco wraps

8 tbsp sour cream

2 limes, zested and then cut into slices

A few sprigs of coriander

 

METHOD

Grouse marinade 

In a bowl, stir all the marinade ingredients together, then add the grouse breasts.

Leave in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.

 

Grilled corn salsa

Turning regularly, grill the corn and spring onions on a medium to high heat until lightly charred.

Once cooked and cooled a little, roughly chop the spring onions and cut the corn off the cob.

Finely slice the radishes and place in a large bowl of iced water to crisp them up.

Mix the spring onion, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, coriander and chilli in a bowl, season and stir through the lime and oil.

Drain the radishes, pat dry and stir into the salsa.

 

To cook the grouse

Just before serving, grill the grouse on both sides for 1½ minutes, leave to rest for 1 minute then thinly slice.

 

To serve

This can be served help-yourself style, so guests assemble their own taco with salsa, grouse and sour cream.