Top chef Vivek Singh shares his secret for Tandoori Spiced Grouse Breast with Sweet Pumpkin Chutney. Think bold, warming flavours, perfectly balanced with seasonal depth – a celebration of British flavours and spice in every bite
With the Glorious Twelfth marking the start of game season in the UK (from 12th August), esteemed chef Vivek Singh is putting an Indian twist on the game meat at his iconic Westminster restaurant, The Cinnamon Club.
Launching from August 12th for a limited-time only, the clove-smoked grouse breast with chickpea bread, hot-sweet pumpkin, game keema and Rajasthani Tarka Dal (£38) is a true standout. Think bold, warming flavours, perfectly balanced with seasonal depth – a celebration of British flavours and spice in every bite.
Here, Vivek shares how to recreate the recipe at home, using simple ingredients for a stunning result.
“Obviously there is no grouse in India, but this is a simple dish to cook and has stunning tastes. Ask your butcher to prepare your grouse for you – two whole breasts and the leg and fillet minced.
Grouse has a strong flavour character of its own and the pickling spices used in the mince base stand up well to it. The sweetness of the pumpkin chutney provides a nice contrast to the richness of the meat.“
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 4 grouse, skinned, breasts de-boned and the legs minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil
For the marinade
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan and then coarsely ground 6 cloves, roasted in a dry frying pan and then coarsely ground
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
For pumpkin chutney
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 dried red chillies, broken into 2–3 pieces each
• 400g peeled pumpkin flesh, cut into 1cm dices
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1tsp red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoons dried mango powder (or mango pickle from a jar)
For leg mince
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds, black onion seeds, fennel seeds, and mustard seeds (this mix is called pickling spices)
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• ½ medium sized onion, chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
•¼ tsp salt
• 1 tomato, deseeded and diced
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• ½ tsp sugar or jaggery (optional)
Method
1 Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a large bowl and gently fold the grouse breasts into it. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
2 Heat the oil in a pan, add the fenugreek seeds and dried red chillies and let them pop. Add the pumpkin and stir over a high heat for 3–4 minutes. Stir in the salt, chilli powder and turmeric, then reduce the heat, cover and cook until the pumpkin is soft and begins to break down. Stir in the sugar – the sweetness balances the heat and spice and also makes the chutney glossy. Finish with the dried mango powder or mango pickle.
3 For the mince, heat oil in a pan, add the pickling spice mix and when it crackles, add the garlic followed by the onions and cook till golden brown, add the turmeric and chilli powder followed by the grouse mince and cook until the mixture is nearly dry.
4 Add salt, diced tomatoes and coriander leaves and mix well. Check for seasoning and you might want to add a touch of sweetness by adding jaggery or sugar to balance the flavours.
5 To cook the grouse, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the marinated grouse breasts and sear for 30 seconds on each side. Place the pan hot oven and cook for 5 minutes.
6 Remove from the heat, sprinkle with green coriander and leave to rest for 5 minutes, and then serve with the pumpkin chutney and grouse mince.
Tip: Take care not to over cook the breasts, as they dry up very quickly. Since it is a very lean meat, grouse is best cooked fast and served medium. Cooking it on the bone also prevents it getting dry.
Recipe courtesy of Vivek Sing of The Cinnamon Club
