Grouse with Cavolo Nero & Red Wine Gravy
Drogo
1-2
10 minutes
20 minutes
If you're looking for an elegant grouse recipe to celebrate the game season, this classic combination of roast grouse, cavolo nero and rich red wine gravy is hard to beat. The deep, distinctive flavour of grouse pairs beautifully with earthy greens and a luxurious sauce, creating a restaurant-quality dish that's perfect for autumn and winter dining.
When learning how to cook grouse, it's important to remember that this prized game bird requires careful cooking to preserve its tender texture. For this dish, we like to wrap the grouse in streaky bacon to keep the meat beautifully moist while adding an extra layer of savoury flavour. Alternatively, you can simply rub the skin generously with butter before roasting for crisp, golden results.
One of the key factors when deciding how to cook grouse is the bird's age. Young grouse, like the one used in this recipe, require very little cooking time to remain tender and juicy. Older birds generally benefit from slightly longer cooking or slower methods to help develop their rich flavour while maintaining tenderness.
Ingredients
2 tender young oven-ready grouse
- 4 rashers streaky bacon
- 2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
250g cavolo nero
- 1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
500ml chicken stock
- 200ml red wine
Directions
Preheat the oven to 220C.
Combine the chicken stock, red wine and redcurrant jelly in a saucepan and reduce vigorously until you have around 200ml left - it will look a little syrupy at this point. Set aside.
Rub the butter and flour together until you have paste and roll into a ball. Set aside.
Heat a generous slice of butter in a frying pan and sear the grouse on both breasts until golden - a couple of minutes.
Wrap the grouse in bacon and stuff with thyme then place in a roasting dish and put into the oven breast side up for 15 minutes.
Remove to a plate, cover loosely and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Cook the cavolo nero in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and top with a pat of butter.
Deglaze the grouse roasting tin with the red wine reduction and heat until bubbling. Add the butter and flour mixture and whisk until glossy. Taste and season and serve with the grouse and cavolo nero.
Ingredients you'll need
