Grouse
Red grouse: a small, wild moorland bird that's never been farmed, with dark, intensely gamey meat that tastes faintly bitter, of the heather it eats.
gamey · heathery · bitter
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Game dealers and butchers in season, oven-ready or in feather. Young birds have soft, pliable feet and a flexible tip to the breastbone.
- A little history
- The Glorious Twelfth, the opening day, once saw birds rushed to London restaurants to be served that night.
- Worth knowing
- Roast it hot and fast — about 15 minutes at 220°C — and serve it pink, on a slice of toast that's caught the juices, with the liver mashed onto it. Old birds go into a pie or a slow braise.
More meat, in season with it