Chef’s Recipe : Grouse Pie from Corrigan’s Mayfair

Looking ahead to Glorious Twelfth (the twelfth day of August and official start to the shooting season for red grouse) – we bring you this sensational pie recipe from celebrated Irish chef Richard Corrigan.

Corrigan’s Mayfair is renowned for serving some of London’s best British and Irish-sourced game, and here we provide you with the opportunity to give it a try at home!

Ingredients :

• 2 grouse
• 200g button mushrooms, washed
• 8 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 6 Savoy cabbage leaves, blanched and stalks removed
• 150g foie gras
• 100ml Madeira
• half pint veal stock
• salt and pepper
• 100ml olive oil
• 50g butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 25g mirepoix
• 25g carrots
• 25g celery
• 25g shallots
• 25g leek

For the pastry :

• 250g strong flour
• 125g back fat, minced
• 20ml iced water
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

Method :

Remove legs and breast from the bone with the livers and heart, roast the bones and leave to one side. Seal the breast in butter, 1 minute on each side. Place on a cooling tray to rest.

Caramelise the mushrooms in a large heavy pan, then place on a chopping board and chop until fine. Place the shallots and garlic in a pan and cook until soft. Next, add the chopped mushrooms and half the Madeira and cook until dry. Leave to cool.

Chop the grouse bones and put in a pan with the mirepoix and a little oil and caramelise. Add the Madeira and cover with the stock. Cook for one hour then pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Next add the grouse legs and braise slowly for 1 and a half hours or until the leg meat is soft.

Take the liver and heart from the grouse and chop. Add to the mushrooms. Heat a pan and cut the foie gras in half, colour on both sides. Season and remove from the pan – any fat left in the pan should be added to the mushrooms.

To make the pastry, combine everything together and cling film the mixture. Leave in the fridge for one hour.

Using a large square of cling film, placed on a bench, put a cabbage leaf in the middle, then the mushroom mixture on top, then the grouse breast. Next, place a seasoned piece of foie gras on top of the grouse breast. Finally, add another grouse breast and a final layer of mushroom. Pull all four corners of the climg film together and tie. Leave in the fridge and repeat with the other grouse breasts.

You should now have two large cabbage balls ready to cover in pastry. Remove the cling film from the cabbage. Roll out the pastry, cover with egg yolk using a pastry brush, particularly the sides. Place the cabbage ball in the centre, pull the pastry up and around to encase the cabbage. Remove excess pastry and place on a baking tray. Do the same with the rest of the grouse.

Reduce the braising liquid by half or add a knob of cold butter. Remove the thigh bone from the leg and warm the legs in the sauce.

Place the pies in a hot oven (230 deg C / gas mark 4) for 12 minutes. Remove and leave to rest on separate plates. Plate a spoonful of pickled red cabbage and place a leg on top. Cut the pies in half and place one on each plate. Spoon over sauce, serve and enjoy.

Alternatively, book at table at Corrigan’s Mayfair and try some of Richard Corrigan’s amazing dishes first hand. Luxury Restaurant Club members receive a complimentary carafe of wine when dining for lunch, see details. Become a Luxury Restaurant Club member by downloading the FREE app here, and following steps to join the Club.

Corrigan’s Mayfair, 28 Upper Grosvenor Street, London W1K 7EH