NOTHING TO GROUSE ABOUT

I know it is tremendously unfashionable to have one's heart uplifted as people start shooting at small defenceless animals, but the beginning of the grouse season always have me salivating and celebrating.  And be fair, better to try and shoot an animal in the wild (not that I've ever tried) than rear it intensively, feeding it chemicals and keeping it in cages.  Not that anyone reading these pages would expect me to be a vegetarian anyway. For those who don't know how delectable grouse is, all I can say is that its meat is rich, tender and, at this early stage of the season, gamey only in the sweetest-scented way.

You don't need to follow any particular recipe:  just roast a brace of grouse (that's 2 in shooting-speak) in a little fat or oil, breast either covered in bacon or smeared with butter (my preference) in a hot oven for about half an hour.  This is not a cheap treat, but better to me than champagne and, eaten alone,  my deliciously favourite of all solitary indulgences.
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