Grouse

As the mascot of the Scottish rugby team and emblem of a famous whisky brand, grouse has become indelibly linked with Scotland but it is in fact available across much of upland Britain – though numbers have been declining over the last 50 years or so. Grouse is one of the most sought after game birds thanks in part to its scarcity and its great flavour and much is made of the Glorious 12th, which refers to the August 12 when the grouse season begins – and which ends on December 10.

Cook’s Tip:  Try roasting grouse with apples. Take 2 whole grouse (one per person) and, if needed, prepare them by first by taking out the wishbone (found at the bottom of the neck cavity), cutting the wings and legs at the joint and trussing up with string. Then place half an apple, the zest of half a lemon and a knob of butter inside each bird. Generously season the inside and the outside skin of the bird with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Wrap each bird with streaky bacon rashers or pancetta. Stand in 1/2 inch of water in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Roast in a preheated oven at 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2 for approximately 45 minutes. Remove the foil and baste with the liquid from the pan and loosen the bacon. Increase the temperature to 230C/450F/Gas Mark 8 and roast for a further 10 minutes until browned all over.