Recipe: Grouse, Beetroot & Pearl Barley Risotto

Serves: 2 people

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: approx 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 grouse
• 100g spelt
• 2 medium size beetroots (cooked and diced into 1cm cubes)
• 2 shallots (finely diced)
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• 100g cavelo nero mushrooms (stalks removed)
• Small glass white wine
• 50g grated parmesan
• 150g butter
• 50ml white wine vinegar
• 10 blackberries
• 50g sugar
• 1 star anise
• 2 cloves
• 50g young watercress
• 50g chanterelles (cleaned)
• 600ml chicken stock
• splash of red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• Olive oil

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200c.  
2. Heat up a saucepan and add a splash of oil, lightly fry off the shallots and garlic until translucent, add spelt then cover with chicken stock. Cook until tender (approx 40 minutes), then pour out onto a tray and leave to cool.
3. To make the pickling liquor place the sugar and vinegar in a pan add 50g of water, the star anise & cloves. Bring to the boil then leave to cool.
4. Cut the blackberries in half and add to the liquor, coating thoroughly. 
5. Place a frying pan on the stove and add a splash of oil, heat until hot then add the grouse and seal until golden. Then place in the oven for 14 minutes.
6. Once cooked take the grouse out of the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
7. While the grouse are resting place the now cooled spelt into a pan with 100ml of chicken stock and place on the stove to heat.
8. Remove the grouse from the pan and add the red wine, heat and reduce down on the stove, add a little of the chicken stock.
9. Add the beetroot to the spelt, along with the parmesan and butter and stir until emulsified, add the cavelo nero, season to taste.
10. Remove the grouse from the bone and add the bones to the pan of chicken stock, reduce until thick.
11. Place a pan on the stove and add a nob of butter, once the butter foams add the chanterelles mushrooms and lightly cook for approx 2-3 mins.
12. Place the risotto on plates and arrange the grouse breasts neatly, scatter the pickled blackberries around and then the mushrooms. Drizzle with the reduced stock and arrange the watercress over the top before finishing with a drizzle of olive oil.   

Serve and enjoy.

Thank you to The King John Inn Hotel in Wiltshire for supplying the recipe.