Roast Grouse Pie Recipe
An exciting time for all chefs and diners in the British Isles. August 12th marks the start of the British game season, starting with the red grouse running from august 12th right in to December. The race to get the first bird on a restaurant menu is fierce.
The chefs here at Corrigans Mayfair have the task of plucking, preparing, and gutting the bird, which is often stuffed with heather and spiced with butter, garlic, and thyme before being roasted whole or stuffed in a pie, wrapped in pastry as a pithivier. Younger birds are preferred and identified by their sharp wingtips and softer beak.
Make a reservation here or have a go at making the pie at home.
2 grouse
200g button mushrooms (washed)
8 shallots (peeled and chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
6 savoy cabbage leaves
(blanched and stalks removed)
150g foie gras
100ml Madeira
250ml veal stock
Salt & pepper
100ml olive oil
50g butter
3 egg yolks
100g mirepoix:
25g carrot (finely chopped)
25g celery (finely chopped)
25g shallot (finely chopped)
25g leek (finely chopped)
Pastry
250g strong flour
125g beef fat (minced)
20ml iced water
1tsp cracked black pepper
Remove legs and breast from the bone with the livers and heart, roast the bones and leave to one side.
Seal the breast in butter, 1 minute on each side. Place on a cooling tray to rest.
Caramelise the mushrooms in a large heavy pan, then place on a chopping board and chop until fine.
Place the shallots and garlic in a pan and cook until soft. Next, add the chopped mushrooms and half the Madeira and cook until dry.
Leave to cool.
Chop the grouse bones and lay out in a pan with the mirepoix and a little oil and caramelise. Add the Madeira and cover with the stock.
Cook for 1 hour then pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan.
Next, add the grouse legs and braise slowly for 1½ hours or until the leg meat is soft.
Take the liver and heart from the grouse and chop. Add to the mushrooms.
Heat a pan and cut the foie gras in half, colour on both sides. Season and remove from the pan, any fat left in the pan should be added to the mushrooms.
To make the pastry, combine everything together and cling film the mixture. Leave in the fridge for 1 hour.
To assemble the pie
Using a large square of cling film placed on a bench, lay a cabbage leaf in the middle, then the mushroom mixture on top, then the grouse breast. Next, place a seasoned piece of foie gras on top of the grouse breast. Finally, add another grouse breast and a final layer of mushroom.
Pull all four corners of the cling film together and tie. Leave in the fridge and repeat with the other grouse breasts. You should have two large cabbage balls ready to cover in pastry.
Remove the cling film from the cabbage.
Roll out the pastry and cover with egg yolk using a pastry brush, particularly the sides.
With the cabbage ball in the centre, pull the pastry up and around to encase the cabbage.
Remove excess pastry and place on a baking tray.
Place the pies in a hot oven for 12 minutes (180°C/380°F).
Remove and leave to rest on separate plates.
Cut the pies in half and place a half on each plate.
Place a leg on top and spoon over the sauce. This dish goes really well with a generous spoonful of pickled cabbage. Spoon over sauce and serve.
For the sauce:
Reduce the braising liquid by half and add a knob of cold butter.
Remove the thigh bone from the leg and warm the legs in the sauce.