Grouse Glorious Grouse.................

[Lusciouslush Profile]

'Tis the season - anyone had any yet? I absolutely love grouse & the butcher's where we get game from has it in, don't know the price as not been able to get over yet - any favourite recipes out there? I usually do a blackberry sauce to go with but would love some more ideas.

[Amyw Profile]

Never tried grouse, is it very strong and gamely?

[wargarden Profile]

i never had grouse but hear it is fowl.

[jeral Profile]

Ouch!

[Binky Profile]

and I've signed the Chris Packham online petition to ban driven grouse shooting, so shan't be eating grouse.

[Pepper Pig Profile]

Me too Binky.

And I’m not sure it is fowl. Isn’t it game?

[wargarden Profile]

it is a wild fowl.

[Joanbunting Profile]

Had you listened to On your Farm on BBC 4 at 6.30 your time this morning, you would have heard that several grouse estates in the UK are doing a huge amount to preserving their moors and developing their wild life profiles.

The message seems to be - like so many things if you want to eat something make sure you know where it comes from.

The nonesense of having absolutely to have it in London on the "Glorious Tweith" is stupid. Like all game it has to be correctly hung to make it edible.

[cherrytree Profile]

I think it’s game in the UK. I’m become increasingly uneasy about shooting game birds. Around where we live in Cumbria there are pheasant shoots where the birds are reared in captivity until the day when it’s legal to shoot them.
Pheasants aren’t the brightest of birds in the first place and because of this captivity don’t seem to have learned or evolved any sort of self preservation. I hate watching them wander onto the fast Roman A road near us and get run over. I don’t buy it any more which is such a shame .
Also Im uneasy about beaters driving them onto the path of the guns. I’ve become more sentimental I think in my old age.

[Otterspocket Profile]

Not for me , game birds just aren’t my thing at all

[WWordsworth Profile]

I'm with you Cherrytree.
A couple of years ago I stopped eating game as I just can't support blood sports.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

There are very good ecological and conservation arguments for culling deer. IMHO there aren't any good arguments against controlling common agricultural pests such as rabbits and pigeons. Why not eat them?

[cherrytree Profile]

I think there’s a huge difference between eating pests and eating stuff that is bred deliberately to be shot often by rich city dwellers.

[Joanbunting Profile]

We have a terrible problem with wild boar round here . A neighbour was nealy killed whn several ran into him while he was riding his motorbWE love wild boar and feel no problem at all helping get rid of the surplus!

[cherrytree Profile]

Apparently there is a huge problem with wild boar in the Forest of Dean. I wonder if they get culled and sold for meat.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

My point was that not all game derives from shoots whereby animals are raised or managed for the purpose of slaughtering them, so anyone objecting to bloodsports could still eat game with a clear conscience.

I'm not sure I understand the relevance of the socioeconomic status or the home address of the shooters.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Never tried grouse, is it very strong and gamely?

It has a flavour all of it's own Amy & it's stronger on the legs than the breast - you definitely know you're not eating chicken - Scottish grouse, which has fed on the heather has a much more distinctive taste than what I buy here in Sussex. The butcher I use buys it from local field sportsmen, just ordinary blokes, not land-owning toffs.

Like all game it has to be correctly hung to make it edible.

Not so any more Joan - most do not hang game birds any more & they are still tender & tasty.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

I might be wrong, but I thought it cost an arm and a leg to shoot grouse. Obviously any that are rushed to restaurants on the 12th will not be hung whereas later birds might have been.

With pheasants & partridge, given that these days they're bred and released for the shoot, an awful lot will be youngsters and therefore virtually guaranteed to be tender. There's not doubt that the flavour improves if they're hung for a few days. I've always thought a week or so is about right. Birds bought oven ready are often not as tasty as they might be, IMHO.

[Joanbunting Profile]

I prefer feathered game to e hung as well. Not until it is high and it's tail feather fall out, but just until it has a bit bmore flavour. Otherwise why would you bother to eat it?