Grouse Pie by Richard Corrigan of Corrigan’s, Mayfair

Serves

4

Prep Time

60 mins

Cooking Time

2 hours

Ingredients

For the pie filling

• 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

To make the pie filling

• 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 the ingredients together and clingfilm the mixture.
• Leave in the fridge for one hour.

To make the pies

• Using a large square of clingfilm, 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 clingfilm 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°c  / gas mark 4) for 12 minutes.
• Remove and leave to rest on separate plates.

To serve

• 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 the sauce, serve and enjoy.