grouse

Blend together the salt and water with a hand blender to make a brine, set
aside.
Take the grouse, remove the legs, wishbone and back, leaving the crown.
Place the crown into the brine for 30 minutes. Remove, pat dry and set aside
until ready to finish.
Remove the meat from the legs and roughly chop/mince.

faggots

Mix together the chopped leg meat, sausage meat, thyme leaves and
seasoning, shape into 4 small balls, and wrap in a single layer of caul fat (you
can miss this stage, but the faggot is more likely to fall apart if you do).
Set aside until ready to finish.

sauce

Heat a heavy pot on the hob over a medium-high heat. Add in the butter and
grouse trimmings, along with the vegetables and spices. Cook this, stirring
regularly, until the meat and veg has fully cooked and browned nicely.
Drain off the excess butter, and then add in the wine and 40g of the port,
plus the thyme and bay leaf. Reduce this by half.
Add in the chicken and veal stock and simmer, skimming as it reduces.
Reduce it by half like this, pass through a fine sieve and retain the liquid,
discard the solids.
Return the liquid to a clean pan and continue to reduce gently until the sauce
thickens to a light, slightly sticky texture.
Remove from heat, add the remaining port and vinegar. Keep warm.

bread sauce

Bring milk to a simmer with everything except the bread. Set aside to infuse
for 20 minutes.
Strain the milk, bring back to a simmer and add the stale bread, simmer
together until it forms a porridge like consistency.
At this stage you can choose whether you would like it served course like this
or blended into a smooth paste.

fondant potatoes

Peel and cut the potatoes into 1 inch thick circles - you can cut them out
with a ring cutter for neatness if you wish.
Heat a heavy pan over a medium/high heat on the hob with a little splash of
oil and place the potatoes in, cut side down.
Allow the potatoes to caramelise nicely, then add the butter, herbs and
chicken stock.
Cover with a cartouche (parchment paper folded into a triangle, cut to hall
the size of the pan and unfolded into a circle).
Simmer until the stock has reduced and potatoes are cooked through.
Allow the pan to cool slightly before you remove the potatoes - this will help
release them if they have stuck to the pan.

blackberries

Simmer the vinegar, water and sugar.
Pour over blackberries.
Set aside to cool.

mushrooms

Heat a sauté pan over a medium/high heat, add the butter and mushrooms
and saute until golden brown. Season to taste.

finish of the grouse

Preheat the oven to 180c.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, coat with oil, and fry the grouse
crowns all over to achieve an even golden colour.
Add the butter and herbs and baste the grouse for 2 minutes.
Place the whole pan in the oven for around 6 minutes, until the grouse is
cooked to medium.
Rest for 6-8 minutes.

plating

Remove the grouse breasts from the crown, and arrange on the plate neatly.
Warm the garnish up again if necessary by placing into the oven while the
grouse rests.
Put the garnish around the grouse and add a spoonful of bread sauce.
Finish the dish with the pickled blackberries and some of the grouse sauce.