Black Game

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy ovenproof skillet
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Poultry shears
• •Kitchen twine
• •Wooden spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Judge the freshness

   Inspect the grouse before doing anything else. The flesh should feel firm and smell clean, faintly mineral, never sour, sweetly rotten, or ammoniacal; no roasting technique rescues spoiled game. Remove stray feathers and any visible shot, wipe the cavities with kitchen paper, and pat the birds completely dry without rinsing them. Let them stand out of the cold for 20 minutes while the oven heats, but no longer.

   The source insists that black game be treated perfectly fresh. A forceful aged-game smell is not the intended character of this dish.
2. 2

   Season and bard

   Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Season the cavities and skins evenly with the salt and pepper, then rub 2 tablespoons of the softened butter over the birds. Lay four bacon slices across each breast, overlapping them lightly, and secure the legs close to the body with kitchen twine. The barde is protection, not decoration: black grouse has little fat of its own, and exposed breast meat dries before the legs are ready.

3. 3

   Begin the roast

   Set the birds breast-side up in a heavy ovenproof skillet, leaving space between them, and roast for 15 minutes. Tilt the pan and baste each bird thoroughly with the butter and bacon fat collecting below. The fat should be nut-brown and fragrant, not black; if the fond begins scorching, add 2 tablespoons of the stock around the birds and lower the oven to 400°F (200°C). The liquid stops the burning without washing away the flavor.

4. 4

   Brown over canapés

   Lift off the bacon and place it beside the birds to crisp. Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons softened butter over the bread, arrange the slices beneath the grouse, and return the skillet to the oven. Roast for another 8 to 12 minutes, basting once, until the skin is deep bronze, the thickest part of each thigh reaches at least 165°F (74°C), and the breast reaches 160°F (71°C) without the thermometer touching bone. If the bread browns before the birds are ready, move it to the serving platter; burnt bread is bitterness, not character.

5. 5

   Rest and verify

   Transfer the birds and canapés to a warm platter, pour any cavity juices back into the skillet, and tent the grouse loosely for 10 minutes. Check that the breast has risen to 165°F (74°C) before carving. If it has not, lay the bacon back over the breasts and return the birds to the oven for 3 minutes at a time. Protect the meat while correcting the temperature, and it will remain succulent.

6. 6

   Mount the jus

   Pour away excess fat from the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon with the brown roasting fond. Set the pan over medium heat, add the remaining stock, and scrape the floor thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Reduce briskly to about ¾ cup (180 ml), until the jus tastes concentrated and lightly coats the spoon. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cube by cube. If the jus looks greasy or separates, stop adding butter and whisk in a tablespoon of cold stock before continuing. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Carve and serve

   Use poultry shears to split each grouse lengthwise through the backbone and breastbone, giving each diner half a bird. Set each half on a buttered canapé, place a crisp piece of bacon over it, and spoon the glossy jus around the bread rather than over the bronzed skin. Bring the remaining jus to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy only legally harvested, fully plucked black grouse from a licensed game dealer. If black grouse is unavailable, hazel hen is the source's named cousin, but it is smaller and must be checked for doneness several minutes earlier.
• •The source's direction to discard the bitter skin and legs applies when the bird becomes a salmis, not when it is roasted. Here the skin shields the lean flesh, and the whole bird goes to the table; diners may leave the stronger leg meat if they prefer.
• •Use a light, unsalted stock. Beef stock or a dark concentrated sauce overwhelms the delicacy for which grouse was prized, while a thin chicken or game stock releases the roasting fond and lets the bird remain the subject.
• •A peppery Mondeuse from Savoie belongs comfortably beside this Alpine game. Serve the grouse with celeriac purée, buttered cabbage, or a plain potato gratin, something generous enough to catch the jus without competing with it.
• •Roast grouse waits badly. Have the table ready before the birds enter the oven, then carve as soon as the resting temperature is safe. Cooking well is not cooking fancy; here it is simply attention at the right minute.

Advance Preparation

• •The stock may be prepared up to 3 days ahead and kept chilled, or frozen in a measured portion. Bring it to room temperature while the birds roast so it does not halt the reduction.
• •The birds may be inspected, dried, seasoned, and covered with their bacon bardes up to 4 hours ahead. Keep them uncovered in the cold, then let them stand out for 20 minutes before roasting.
• •Cut the bread and measure the sauce ingredients earlier in the day. Roast the grouse and mount the jus only when the table is ready, since both are at their best immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)