The sharpness of the elderberry sauce cuts nicely through the earthiness of the grouse and this is a great recipe to celebrate the start of the grouse shooting season - the glorious twelfth!
To make cooking on the day easier, the puree and sauce can be made the day before. As the buckwheat needs time to dehydrate, this will need making in advance also.
ROAST GROUSE RECIPE WITH CELERIAC PUREE, BEETROOT, PUFFED BUCKWHEAT AND ELDERBERRY JUS
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 whole grouse, oven-ready, stuffed with sprigs of thyme and bay leaf
50g unsalted butter
Puffed buckwheat (make the day before)
50g buckwheat
For the cabbage
1 hispi cabbage
25g unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Elderberry jus
1 shallot, finely sliced
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 white peppercorns
4 juniper berries
50 ml port
25ml sherry vinegar
25ml red wine vinegar
500ml chicken stock
500ml veal stock
1 handful of ripe elderberries
20g unsalted butter
20ml olive oil
Celeriac purée
1 small celeriac, peeled and diced
350ml milk
150ml double cream
Salt
Beetroot
4 red baby beetroot
1 bulb of garlic, halved
½ sprig of thyme
½ bunch rosemary
25ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
- Make the puffed buckwheat the day before as it will take time to dehydrate. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Boil the buckwheat for 15 minutes, until slightly overcooked. Drain and transfer to a baking sheet and dry out in a low oven on a pilot light with the door ajar or in a dehydrator at 50 degrees until dry and crispy. If you don't have a small tabletop fryer, fill a deep-sided pot halfway with cooking oil and heat it to 200 degrees.
- Once completely dried, deep fry the buckwheat at 220 degrees for a few seconds until the buckwheat puffs up.
- Removed with a fine sieve onto a tray lined with paper towel and season lightly with table salt.
- Begin by making the elderberry jus. Sweat the shallots, garlic, herbs and spices in a heavy-bottomed pan with a touch of oil. Once the shallots are tender add the sherry vinegar and reduce until almost completely evaporated. Repeat with the red wine vinegar and then the port.
- Add the chicken and veal stock and reduce by half, then strain and leave to one side, covered.
- To make the puree, place the celeriac into a saucepan with the milk and cream and pinch of salt. Loosely cover with a sheet of baking paper and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the celeriac is soft. Strain the celeriac, reserving the liquid. Add the cooked celeriac to a blender and blend until smooth, slowly adding some of the reserved liquid until the desired consistency is achieved. Taste and add salt if necessary. Keep in a small pan, covered, for later.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. To cook the beetroot, place them onto a baking tray lined with foil. Lightly drizzle the beetroot with the olive oil, salt and pepper and top with the herbs and garlic. Lay another sheet of foil on top and crimp the edges around all sides so that you have formed a sealed parcel. This will help concentrate the flavour of the beetroots. Bake for 1 hour. The beetroot is cooked when you can slide the tip of a knife through without any resistance. Once cooked, leave to cool down for 15-20 minutes until they are at a manageable temperature. Use a clean cloth or kitchen paper to gently rub the skin off. If cooked correctly, the skin should come away with ease.
- Halve the cabbage and cut out the core. Separate the leaves, removing and thick stalks and select 8 nice leaves. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. (The water should have a similar level of salt to sea water) and blanch the leaves for around 2 minutes or until tender. Strain through a colander, removing any excess water. Place the butter into the now-empty pan that you used to cook the cabbage and melt on a medium heat. Once melted add the cabbage leaves back in. Season with salt and pepper and mix well until all the leaves are coated with the butter.
- To cook the grouse, heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan with a tablespoon of oil. Season the grouse with salt and pepper and sear on all sides until golden brown.
Place into the oven at 200 degrees and roast for 12-16 minutes, depending on the size of the birds. Remove from the oven and cover in a foil. Leave to rest for 15 minutes. - While the birds are resting reheat the beetroot in the oven for a few minutes. Once hot removed and sprinkle with the puffed buckwheat.
- Warm the puree and bring the elderberry sauce to a simmer. Pour any resting juices from the grouse into the sauce. Add the elderberries and whisk in the butter to give the sauce a rich, glossy finish.
- Remove the legs and breasts from the birds. Place 2 buttered cabbage leaves onto each plate and top with the grouse breasts and legs. Place the beetroots alongside the grouse along with a generous tablespoon of the celeriac puree.
- Finish with the elderberry sauce and serve!
