Frances Atkins, chef and co-owner of The Yorke Arms in North Yorkshire, has created this impressive dish, served with bilberry mead.
Ingredients
For the shoulder of lamb:
- 1.4 kg3 lb shoulder of lamb
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 1 egg white
- 30 g1 oz unsalted butter, diced
- 50 ml1¾ fl oz Madeira wine
- 4 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 celery stick, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1 leek, trimmed and roughly chopped
For the lamb stock:
- Handful of chopped carrot, onion, leek and celery
- 4 whole black peppercorns
- Handful of mixed herbs, such as thyme, rosemary and heather flowers
- Splash of olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the grouse stock and roast grouse:
- 2 young oven-ready grouse
- 2 slices of pancetta
- Olive oil
For the bilberry mead:
- 50 ml1¾ fl oz peaty malt whisky
- 50 ml1¾ fl oz verjus (optional)
- 2 dessert spoons runny honey
- 60 g2 oz bilberries or blueberries, plus a few extra for garnish
To garnish:
- 1 tsp mini capers
Method: How to make Roast grouse and shoulder of lamb
To prepare the shoulder of lamb:
Cut it in half. Remove the bone and lay the meat flat. Reserve the bones and trimmings for the stock.
To make the lamb stock:
Brown the lamb bones and trimmings together with the chopped vegetables, peppercorns and stalks from the herbs (reserve the leaves for serving) in the oil in a large stock pot. Cover with water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Strain the stock back into a clean pan, reduce by half and season with salt and pepper.
To cook the shoulder of lamb:
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Remove the skin from the meat and place it between two pieces of cling film. Use a rolling pin to firmly flatten the skin. Put half the meat into a food processor, then add the cream and egg white and blend to bring the mixture together.
Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, add the Madeira wine and half the shallots and reduce until dry, allowing the shallots to absorb the Madeira. Chop the rest of the meat and put it in a bowl. Add the remaining shallots and the reduced Madeira liquid and stir to combine. Mix the two meats together, remove the cling film from the lamb skin and spread the meat onto the lamb skin. Roll up and secure with string then cook on the bed of root vegetables in a roasting tin for about 30 minutes.
For the grouse stock and roast grouse:
Remove the legs and the cavity from the birds and put them in a pan with enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming the surface occasionally.
Wrap the crowns of each grouse in foil and add a slice of pancetta across each breast. Rub over some oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the birds in the oven with foil around the base of the grouse, slightly exposing the breast and pancetta, and cook with the lamb for 8–10 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
To make the bilberry mead:
Heat 50ml of the grouse stock with the whisky and verjus (if using) in a pan and reduce by half. Add the honey and bilberries or blueberries, let the liquid thicken and then pass through a sieve. Add the extra bilberries or blueberries.
To serve:
Slice the lamb and glaze it with the lamb stock. Remove the pancetta and carve the grouse breasts and place both on the lamb. Garnish with the vegetables, mini capers and bilberry mead.
