Serves 4
■ 4 grouse breasts
■ Sea salt and peppercorns
■ 50g (2oz) butter
■ 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
■ 12 small peeled shallots
■ 100g (31⁄2oz) chanterelles
■ 2 large cooked beetroots
■ 2 handfuls salad leaves
■ 2 tbsp vinaigrette (or other dressing)

Sprinkle grouse breasts with some sea salt and some crushed peppercorns and place in a freezer bag in the fridge for two hours. Remove after this time and wash off the brine. Find a deep roasting dish and a trivet that will fit inside it. Sprinkle the bottom with hay and lay the trivet on top. Find a sheet of tinfoil big enough to fit over the dish.
Lay the breasts on to the trivet and light the hay. Immediately cover tightly with the foil and leave it for 15 minutes. After this time, relight any hay that has not fully ignited and cover again. The idea is to cold-smoke the grouse so they don’t dry out.
After this smoking process is complete, place the breasts in a freezer bag in the fridge or freeze the breasts until you are ready to use them.
To make the salad, melt half the butter until foaming in a heavy pan and sear the breasts until golden. About 90 seconds on each side should be about right. Deglaze the meat with the vinegar for a further 20 seconds and remove. Place the remaining butter in the pan and caramelise the shallots for five minutes, then add the chanterelles and beetroot. Meanwhile, rest the grouse on a wooden board.
To serve, dress the salad leaves, add the beetroot, chanterelles and shallots, and add a little more vinaigrette.