Game.

FLORENDINE HARE.

AFTER THE HARE HAS HUNG A WEEK, PREPARE IT AS FOR ROASTING AND TAKE OUT ALL THE BONES OF THE BODY MAKE A STUFFING WITH BACON BREAD PORT WINE SALT MACE AND A CLOVE POUNDED.

LAY IT OVER THE INSIDE OF THE HARE ROLL IT UP AND SEW IT FAST WITH PACKTHREAD ; ROLL IT INTO A CLOTH AND POACH IT IN VEAL STOCK FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF ; REDUCE THE STOCK BY HALF AND ADD A PINT OF PORT WINE, LEMON PICKLE AND MUSHROOM CATSUP A TABLESPOON EACH ; ALSO A TEASPOON OF BROWNING. THICKEN IT WITH A BEURRE MANIE ; SERVE WITH MORELS AND GARNISH WITH BLUEBERRIES AND CURLY PARSLEY.
Probably better left like this! Garnished with wild flowers

TO ROAST RABBITS

TRUSS THEM FOR ROASTING AND STUFF THEM WITH THE LIVER MINCED GRATED BREAD HAM, BUTTER, CHOPPED PARSLEY AND LEMON THYME, GRATED NUTMEG, SALT AND PEPPER, BOUND WITH AN EGG.SEW THEM UP AND ROAST THEM BEFORE A QUICK FIRE AND BASTE THEM WITH BUTTER.

SERVE WITH GRAVY AND LEMON BUTTERTHEY MAY ALSO BE FRICASSEED OR FRIED CUT IN JOINTS.

MAKE WITH THEM ALSO A PIE AS FOR CHICKENS.

Too late! light the oven!!

GROUSE.

THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER AND CELEBRATED GAME BIRD THE GROUSE.

LIVES AMONGST THE HEATHER AND AS A CONSEQUENCE TASTES AS HEATH SMELLS!

THE TANG OF THE MOOR IS REFLECTED IN THE FLAVOUR OF THE BIRD.

TO ENHANCE THE FLAVOUR, THE BIRD MUST BE HUNG IN A COOL AND AIRY PLACE FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS REMEMBERING THAT THE SEASON FOR GROUSE BEGINS ON THE 12th OF AUGUST AND IT WILL BE QUITE WARM.

TAKE THE BREASTS OFF THE BIRD AND SET ASIDE IN A MARINADE OF OLIVE OIL AND A SHOT OF SCOTCH MIXED WITH SOME CRUSHED JUNIPER BERRIES AND FRESH BAY LEAVES.

STRIP THE MEAT FROM THE LEGS AND WITH TWO OR THREE RASHERS OF UNSMOKED DRYCURE BACON ; EITHER MINCE IT OR CHOP IT FINELY WITH A HACHOIR OR A GOOD SHARP KNIFE. A FEW LEAVES OF LEMON THYME AND AN OUNCE OF BREADCRUMBS TO BIND IT WILL COMPLETE THIS "DUXELLE" ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND THAT THE EXQUISITE FLAVOUR OF THE GROUSE MUST BE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP AND SHINE THROUGH , WRAP THE BREAST WITH A RASHER OF STREAKY BACON . MAKE A PATTIE OUT OF THE LEG MIX AND MOULD IT INTO A PEAR SHAPE TO STAND THE BREAST UPON.

FLASH FRY THE BREAST IN CLARIFIED BUTTER AND FINISH BY ADDING SOME OF THE MARINADE TO DEGLACE THE PAN FLAMING OFF ANY REMAINING ALCHOHOL FROM THE WHISKEY AND TAKING UP ALL THE RESIDUE OF THE MEAT ; STRAIN THE ENSUING JUS.  POOL AROUND THE BREAST ON THE LEGMEAT PATTIE AND SERVE WITH LATTICE POTATO AND A FEW DICE OF POACHED PEAR

PHEASANT.

 OCTOBER TO FEBRUARY IS THE SEASON FOR THE PHEASANT SOME PREFER THE COCK, I PREFER THE HEN. A MORE DELICATE AND TENDER BIRD. TRADITION HAS IT THAT THE PHEASANT MUST BE BEGULGED WITH RED SAUCES OF WINE AND FLOUR AND STUFFING! LETS NOT GO THERE!!

USE THE BREASTS AND GIVE THE LEGS TO THE CAT OR SALMIS THEM TO MAKE A PATE OR RILLETTES BUT DONT SERVE THEM AS A PORTION--TO TOUGH.

STRIP THE BREASTS FROM THE CARCASE AND PUT THEM ON A PLATE , NO SALT YET, IT WILL ONLY DRAW OUT THE MOISTURE AND THEY ARE ALREADY DRYISH AS IS MOST GAME, LITTLE FAT ABOUT YOU SEE!

CRUSH A TABLESPOON OF PINK PEPPERCORNS AND RUB ONTO THE BREASTS ;  CHOP I MEDIUM YELLOW ONION AND MEASURE ABOUT HALF A CUP OF RASPBERRY VINEGAR AND WARM ; A TEASPOON OF GRANULATED SUGAR ; A TABLESPOON OF MARTINI BIANCO ; A FEW RASPBERRIES TO GARNISH WITH A SPRIG OF MINT.

SAUTE THE BREASTS IN 1 TABLESPOON OF GROUNDNUT OIL. REMOVE FROM THE PAN AND COVER. ALLOW TO REST WHILE YOU SAUTE THE ONIONS ; REMOVE ONIONS FROM THE PAN AND KEEP WARM WITH THE BREASTS THEN DEGLAZE THE PAN WITH THE RASPBERRY VINEGAR ; SUGAR AND MARTINI THEN REDUCE TO A GLAZE. A LITTLE SALT TO SEASON AND A FEW PINK PEPPERCORNS INTO THE SAUCE.

SLICE THE BREASTS INTO THREE AND LAY THE SLICES ON THE ONION  THEN NAP WITH THE RASPBERRY REDUCTION AND GARNISH WITH THE RASPBERRIES AND MINT SPRIGS JUST BEFORE SERVICE.

WOODPIGEON

RING DOVE OR CUSHAT. (O/E Cuscote)

 BECOMING MORE POPULAR AS A GASTRONOMIC DELIGHT. THE WOODY HAS LONG BEEN REGARDED AS A PEST AS IT CAN CAUSE ENORMOUS DAMAGE TO CEREAL CROPS AND AS SUCH IS REGULARLY CULLED. WILD BIRDS ARE THE ONLY SOURCE OF BIRDS AND GAME DEALERS WILL BUY WOODYS FROM SHOOTING PARTIES.

 AGAIN,THE BREASTS ARE THE BEST FOR EASY EATING AND THEY RESPOND WELL TO OVERNIGHT MARINADING. THE BREASTS ARE GOOD BUTTERED AND FLASH ROASTED LEFT A LITTLE RARE AND PLACED ON A BED OF PUY LENTILS DEGLAZE WITH A LITTLE PORT AND ADD SOME BLACKBERRIES OR ELDERBERRIES AT THE LAST AND FINISH WITH SOME BUTTERED FINES HERBES.

Fines herbes.

Take in equal parts tarragon chervil chives and parsley chop till fine then grind some white peppercorns and some maldon salt-- just enough--  Mix all these into clarified butter or goosefat so the herbs and seasoning are bound in the fat and are the predominant constituent.

Add to sauces and soups or melt onto meats just before service.

Whip into cream to thicken meat juices, add to beurre blanc.

DUCK.

Game or domesticated fowl the duck is always a delicious addition to any menu.

Teal ; Widgeon ; Mallard ; These are the kind of "Game" birds commonly taken in England and are smaller than the domesticated birds which are much heavier as they dont spend any time in the air!!

The "Gressingham" is the most popular Table breed but a lot of the others are perfectly good.

Mention duck and the response will always be Ah! Orange!!

OK!

Duck with mango and orange salad.

Two duck breast fillets left in a cool place under muslin or under a collander where the air can circulate and dry them off , letting them 'set' a little and become firm. Maybe start a day before cooking.

An hour before service salt the duck breasts and let them stand. then rub off the salt and pat the skins dry with kitchen paper.

Re season lightly and place on a trivet of vegetables with two or three crushed garlic cloves.

Roast at 180c until the skin starts to crisp.

Remove the breasts from the vegetables.

Dredge a small ammount of icing sugar over the skin replace on the vegetables and caramelise in the oven. Remove from the oven and keep warm , dont cover! Let them rest and relax a bit!

Prepare your salad with Mache leaf, Rocket , endive , mango dice , skinned tomato and Orange segments dressed with hazlenut oil sweetened with a little mango chutney and some balsamic vinegar---just a drop!

Slice the duck breast as thick or thin as you prefer and lay on the salad.

Warm buttered bread is good with this.

                        

PARTRIDGE.

     Heres a nice partridge recipe. 

 If you have one bird it will scarcely do for two so I have married it to a little porky thing that doesnt overshadow the subtle flavour of the partridge. So take a few strips of pork belly and cut them into cubes about an inch square ending up with about four cubes for each person. put them in a casserole dish and add a tablespoon of porkfat like in the pieshop photo then add a few allspice seeds and a sprig of thyme add cider until halfway up the cubes of pork, trim and tie the partridge legs so they are not outstreched  and cook covered (Foil will do) until the pork is tender That will also render the legs soft and edible. Keep the legs warm but still covered until the breasts are ready and strain the juices into a pan and skim off the fat. preserve the fat for the following. Remove the partridge breasts from the carcase and dust them in seasoned flour  , flash fry them with the pork cubes in the fat from the cooking of the pork and as they begin to brown remove from the pan leaving them a little pink but the pork should be caramelising nicely. 

Make some parisiennes (Balls or quenelles) of Bramley apple  and toss in butter and sugar until caramelising a little then take out the legs and toss them in the same butter and sugar. place the folded leg on the plate with the breast on top of it and arrange the cubes of pork and quenelles of Bramley around it , then add some calvados to the cooking juices and a knob of butter tho impart a gloss to the jus and pool it around the meats on the plate. Finish with a sprig of watercress  and some matchstick potatoes.

The English Grey Partridge.

                              

Venison is becoming more and more popular latterly as it is very low in fat. It was once considered the food of Royalty and the kings of England kept forests and chases for hunting deer. These days Deer are farmed and a lot of venison is from culling to preserve the integrity of the wild herds by removing the surplus stags .

Heres a meal fit for a King.

Take  Rump steaks of venison and marinade in a little seasoned olive oil.

Make a puree of Apple parsnip and potato. quite stiff like mashed potato. add an egg to bind and when cool shape into large quenelles.

Then bake them in a moderate oven until they get a little crisp around the edges!!

Meanwhile Make a sauce out of orange juice and blackberry conserve with a little cointreau. Simmer a little until it starts to thicken a bit and add your berrys, now I used cranberries cause I had them!

The garnish here is carrot crisps --just ribbons of carrot made with a potato peeler, dried and then deep fried! Heat the pan and fry the venison in the marinade oil, leave it a bit rare for my tastes, but however you like it only remember that it can get a bit dry if over cooked.

Sauce around the potato and put the meat on top.

A few berries and a leaf or two, pop on the crisp carrot and eat!

Deer!