Yorkshire grouse with sweetcorn, black pudding and greengages

by Ivan Tisdall-Downes
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4
2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Grouse

  • 2 grouse
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • unsalted butter, for basting

Corn salsa

  • 4 ears of corn
  • 250ml of neutral oil, such as vegetable
  • 2 large shallots, or 3 small, very finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp of dried oregano
  • 1 handful of parsley, very finely sliced
  • 30ml of cider vinegar
  • sea salt, to taste

Buttermilk grouse legs

  • duck fat, as needed
  • buttermilk, as needed
  • 250g of plain flour
  • 1 tbsp of smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp of chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp of garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • sea salt
  • vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Grouse jus

  • 2 red onions, quartered
  • 1/2 garlic bulb
  • 100g of portobello mushroom, diced
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2l white chicken stock
  • 1 dash of vegetable oil

Corn purée

  • 6 ears of corn
  • 100g of unsalted butter
  • 200ml of double cream
  • 400ml of whole milk
  • sea salt, to taste

To garnish

  • 200g of black pudding
  • 2 greengage plums
  • chickweed

Method

1
To begin, prepare the corn salsa. Remove the husks and silk from each ear of corn and discard. Burn the kernels with a blowtorch until blackened, then cut them from the cobs and reserve in the fridge. Burn the cobs using a blowtorch. Submerge the charred corn cobs in a neutral oil and allow to infuse at room temperature for several hours, or ideally overnight
  • 4 ears of corn
  • 250ml of neutral oil, such as vegetable
2
To prepare the grouse, cut off the legs and set aside for the jus. Cut the bodies into neat crowns and remove the wishbones. Season with salt and keep in the fridge until ready to serve
  • 2 grouse
3
Using a blowtorch, burn any remaining feathers from the grouse legs, then place in a dish and lightly cover with salt. Leave in the fridge for 2 hours
4
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
5
While the legs are being salted, make the jus. Spread the grouse bones out on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, place a large saucepan over a medium heat and, once hot, add a dash of oil, followed by the quartered onions. Allow to caramelise on the cut sides, then add the garlic
  • 1 dash of vegetable oil
  • 2 red onions, quartered
  • 1/2 garlic bulb
6
Add the mushrooms, star anise and herbs to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the roasted bones, pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Cook on a low-medium heat for 3 hours, from time to time skimming away any scum that rises to the surface
  • 100g of portobello mushroom, diced
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2l white chicken stock
7
When ready, remove the sauce from the heat, allow to cool, then strain through a sieve lined with muslin cloth
8
Preheat the oven to 90°C
9
Remove the grouse legs from the fridge and rinse with cold running water. Pat dry with kitchen paper and place in a deep baking dish. Pour over enough melted duck fat to cover and cook in the oven for 4 hours, until tender
  • duck fat, as needed
10
Drain the legs from the fat and, while still warm, very carefully remove the thigh bone from each leg. Allow to cool completely, then chill in the fridge to set
11
To make the corn purée, cut the kernels from the cobs and add them to a heavy-based pan with the butter, cream, and milk. Cook over a low heat for approximately 30 minutes, then tip the contents of the pan into a sieve set over a jug to catch the liquid. Transfer the kernels to a powerful blender and blitz until smooth, gradually adding splashes of the reserved liquid while blending until you have a nice smooth purée. Pass the purée through a sieve, season to taste, and set aside
  • 6 ears of corn
  • 100g of unsalted butter
  • 200ml of double cream
  • 400ml of whole milk
  • sea salt, to taste
12
When ready to serve, preheat a deep-fryer to 180°C and preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
  • vegetable oil, for deep-frying
13
Dice the black pudding into small cubes and roast in the oven until crispy. Keep warm in a top oven or under a low grill. Keep the oven on ready to cook through the grouse
  • 200g of black pudding
14
Slice each greengage in half and remove the stones. Heat a cast iron pan over a high heat and, once very hot, add the greengages, cut-side down. Allow to caramelise until completely blackened
  • 2 greengage plums
15
To finish the corn salsa, mix 30ml of the barbecued corn oil with the burnt kernels and the remaining salsa ingredients. Season to taste with salt
  • 2 large shallots, or 3 small, very finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp of dried oregano
  • 1 handful of parsley, very finely sliced
  • 30ml of cider vinegar
  • sea salt, to taste
16
When ready to fry the grouse legs, place the flour in a bowl and season with the spices and salt, mixing well to combine. Place the buttermilk in another bowl
  • 250g of plain flour
  • 1 tbsp of smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp of chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp of garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • sea salt
  • buttermilk, as needed
17
Dip each leg first into the seasoned flour, then into the buttermilk. Return the legs to the flour, pressing the firmly into surface of the meat. Deep-fry the legs until golden-brown, then drain on kitchen paper and keep warm
18
To cook the grouse crowns, heat a generous glug of oil in a frying pan. Once hot, sear the crowns all over until golden, then place in the oven, breast-side up, for 8 minutes — the grouse should be cooked through but still pink in the middle. Remove from the oven, add a large knob of butter to the pan, and baste. Leave to rest for 5 minutes in a warm place
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • unsalted butter, for basting
19
When ready to plate, warm through the corn purée, then transfer to a piping bag. Pipe dots of the purée onto each plate, then add spoonfuls of the corn salsa and crumbled pieces of black pudding
20
Carve the grouse crowns and add the breasts to the centre of each plate. Place the crispy fried leg on one side, and a greengage half on the other side. Pour over some jus, garnish with chickweed, and serve
  • chickweed