The top 10 best grouse recipes

Whether you have an old bird or young, are looking for a traditional roast recipe or something a little more unusual, The Field's top 10 best grouse recipes has plenty of inspiration

Whole roast grouse with tomato, fig and bread salad is perfect for early season birds.

The grouse season is well underway and the freezer is probably pretty well stocked already. Roast grouse is as much a part of the season as the pheasants come October, but there’s no need to start a production line. Grouse works exceptionally well in salads, especially when served warm, and can even be put to use in ravioli if you really want to impress. With The Field‘s top 10 best grouse recipes you can’t go far wrong with your brace.

Be sure not to miss our guide to the best casserole dishes. Cooking the grouse is one challenge, shooting them quite another. No matter how many times you have been out on the moor, noone stands in the butt without some trepidation. Read how to shoot grouse. The must-read guide for our essential advice. And 26-time world champion George Digweed reveals his grouse shooting secrets is his guide to grouse. No matter how seasoned a shot you are, this is advice not to be missed.

THE TOP TEN BEST GROUSE RECIPES

There is something rather special about a traditional roast grouse. And it is certainly the best game supper to start with. There’s no need to fuss with a young bird, simply serve with bread sauce and game chips. But don’t overlook an older bird, simmering stock will turn a dry gamebird into a moist and succulent supper. Read reviving a dry bird – roast grouse recipe for our advice.

Grouse ravioli makes an impressive game supper.

Grouse works extremely well with fruit and changing the accompanying salad lessens the risk of repetitive game suppers. Whole roast grouse with grilled peach salad works excellently with young birds at their most tender. Or try whole roast grouse with tomato, fig and bread salad for an interesting alternative to bread sauce.

But these are recipes for young birds. If you have a late-season grouse on your hands, pot roasting is the only way to cook it. Try a long, slow cook and seriously good flavour combinations with pot roast grouse with brandy, tarragon and wild mushrooms. And pot-cooked crowns of grouse are an excellent reminder of the advantages of the older birds. They have a stronger flavour, are more fibrous and bigger. Just make sure you cook them for long enough.

If you are looking for a rather lighter supper, grouse works excellently in salads. With mid-season birds it is best to use the breasts, a method that works perfectly for grouse salad with walnut tarator and roast cauliflower. Or for a salad that still feels like comfort food, serve the grouse warm. Warm smoked grouse salad with beetroot and wild mushrooms uses smoking for extra flavour. And warm grouse, plum, blue cheese and walnut salad makes an impressive supper party starter.

But for something a little different, look no further than our grouse ravioli with grouse broth. Making your own pasta make seem a laborious task, but grouse is an ingredient worthy of the effort. Or braised grouse with tomato, parmesan and wet polenta is an excellent way to turn your freezer birds into a hearty lunch.