Grouse breasts with a potato rosti, roasted plums & bacon

Grouse breasts with a potato rosti, roasted plums & bacon

An ideal dish for young grouse breasts early in the season.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Grouse
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Grouse breasts
  • 250 ml chicken stock or game stock
  • 1 tbsp plum sauce
  • 4 plums halved and de-stoned
  • 1 tbsp clear honey
  • 4 Maris piper potatoes
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 200 grams purple sprouting broccoli
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon
  • 75 grams butter
  • salt and pepper
  • vegetable oil

Instructions
 

  • Make the potato rostis in advance. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
    Peel and grate the potatoes using a coarse cheese grater.
    Squeeze the peeled potatoes in a tea towel over the sink to remove excess water until you dry.
    Place into a mixing bowl, add the thyme leaves and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well.
  • Heat a solid frying pan over a medium heat and add a splash of vegetable oil followed by 50g butter.
    As the butter melts and starts to foam, divide the potato mix into 4 flat cakes.
    Put the potato cakes in the pan and cook for 6 minutes, or until golden, on one side, then turn and cook for further 5 minutes on the other side. Transfer the rostis onto a baking tray.
  • Place the halved plums in a tight-fitting baking tray, add the honey and a little oil and roast in a hot oven at 180°C for 8 minutes.
  • Remove the grouse breasts from the fridge to reach room temperature.
    Place a frying pan on a medium high heat.
    Add a light splash of oil and fry the bacon on both sides until crispy.
    Remove the bacon, reserve the pan juices, and keep the bacon warm.
  • Return the pan to the heat and season the grouse breasts with salt and pepper.
    Place in the breasts skin side down in the pan and cook on a medium high heat for 3 minutes.
    Turn the breasts over and add the remaining butter and rosemary in.
    Baste the breasts as the butter foams for 2 minutes.
    Remove breasts from pan and allow to rest in a warm place.
  • To assemble dish, add the roasted plums to the warm sauce.
    Slice the grouse breasts in half.
    Plate each dish with a rosti, broccoli portion, three grouse slices and drizzle with sauce over the top. Divide the plum pieces among the dishes.
    To finish, add a rasher of crisp bacon and serve straight away.
Keyword Grouse