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
½ 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 cling film together and tie. Leave in the fridge and repeat with the other grouse breasts.

You should 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.

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.

Put 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 and serve.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.