Anyone cooked grouse?

[CatKisser]

A mate has been on a shoot this weekend and is giving me a grouse to cook! Never tried it before and don't want to cock it up. When I have pheasants I usually just get the breasts and legs off them but I think a grouse will be too small for this... is it best just to pluck, gut and roast? Hate gutting things.

Any suggestions or recipes would be fab!

[RosesandRugby]

Its not too dissimilar to pheasant really.

I don't like the legs, very fiddly and not much taste, so I would cut them off (make stock ? ) and remove the wishbone and trim it etc so you are left with the breast (on the bone) outside its little rib cage. I would rub it with butter (lots) and wrap in bacon (unsmoked unless you like it smokey but grouse is gamey in taste anyway). Chuck some herbs etc inside and roast/pan fry/grill. They don't take much cooking but do dry out quickly.

I had it with a Blackberry jus once in a restaurant but when I tried to make that myself it just tasted like I had chucked Ribena over the to of it
Cant you get your friend to gut it for you ?

[CatKisser]

Thanks, that's great advice. The blackberry jus sounds amazing but that's probably a culinary step too far for me, too! I'd feel guilty asking my friend to gut it, we work together and he's got a lot on - and in fairness I need to learn how to do it myself really.

[mrspremise]

Nigella has a nice recipe for grouse with mascarpone and thyme. I did that when I was given some... Lush