Spit Roast Grouse

Start by preparing a game stock, in general grouse is too expensive a base for this but you can use the cheaper cuts of venison or use some guinea fowl cutting off the breasts for other dishes, and cutting up the carcasses. Use  Recipe   to make the stock or if you are desparate use some chicken stock made with a cube, put to one side.

Start the bread sauce off by infusing the onion in the milk  Recipe  .

Top and tail the parsnips and cut into finger sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, put into an ovenproof dish and add olive oil to half cover. Put to one side. Top and tail the greens, wash and tear into pieces.

Start up the barbecue under the spitroast. Stuff the grouse with a small bunch of thyme and a chunk of butter. Feed the grouse on to the spit securing with some meat clamps and tie round with some string to keep secure  Picture  . Melt quite a lot of butter in a small saucepan, paint the grouse with the butter and season with salt and pepper. Reserve the remainder of the butter for basting.

Put the spit over the heat and cook for around 45 minutes basting fairly often with the melted butter using a pastry brush  Picture  ,  Picture  . Use a pointed knife or skewer to prick the grouse, the juice should be mildly pink or clear depending on your taste but do not over cook. Take off the spit, cover with foil and let rest for five minute or so.

Meanwhile put the parsnips in the oven at 400°F/200°C/Reg6 and cook for around 40 minutes turning from time to time until nicely brown. Drain the parsnips on some kitchen paper on a serving dish, and then discard the paper and keep the parsnips warm  Picture  

Finish off the bread sauce  Recipe   and put to one side. Boil or steam the greens until barely tender, drain, put in a serving dish and add a few knobs of butter.

Make the madeira sauce by melting a good tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan and add a tablespoonful of flour to make a roux. Slowly pour in about ¾ pint/400 ml of the game stock stirring all the time, add a wine glass of sweet madeira and simmer to allow the sauce to thicken and reduce a bit. Season the sauce well with salt and pepper  Picture  .

Cut the grouse into halves and discard the carcasse  Picture  . Rewarm the sauces if necessary, put the grouse on to serving plates followed by the greens and parsnips and a spoonful of bread sauce, garnish with a little watercress and spoon over a little madeira sauce and serve  Zoom  .