Roast grouse with leek & orzo

Ingredients

• 1 grouse
• 1 stick of celery, sliced into 1cm rings
• 1 leek, sliced into 1cm rings
• 1 bay leaf
• 50ml white or rosé wine
• 180g orzo
• 500ml chicken stock
• Juice of ½ lemon
• A couple of sprigs of parsley or thyme, to garnish

Method

Heat the oven to190C. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in an oven-proof pot and brown the grouse on all sides. Set aside. In the same pot, add the sliced celery and leeks, along with a pinch of salt, and cook gently for 8 mins until soft.

Add the bay leaf then stir and add the wine – it should sizzle and smell good. Stir in the orzo so it’s well covered, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 mins.

Add the lemon juice and stir well. Gently place the grouse on top of the orzo and season it well with salt and pepper.

Cover the pot tightly with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 16 mins, removing the foil halfway through. When the 16 mins are up, remove from the oven. You should find that the orzo has plumped up and the stock has been absorbed.

Give the dish a couple of minutes to cool, then garnish with parsley or thyme and a drizzle of olive oil. Carve the grouse, then serve.

Image: Rob Allison