Scottish roast young hazel grouse

The hazel grouse is one of the most popular hunting birds along with the pheasant, partridge, pigeon and wood grouse. Grouse meat is dark burgundy in color with a rich deep taste. In cooking, it should be borne in mind that young birds are well suited for quick cooking methods - they can be fried in a skillet for 20 minutes. Older hazel grouses are tougher, but this does not affect the taste in any way, an older bird just needs to be cooked over low heat for longer. The flexibility of the sternum and the claws of the hazel grouse will help determine the age. The more flexible the sternum bone and the sharper the claws, the younger the bird.

Ingredients

• 2 carcasses of young hazel grouses;
• 2 small bunches of fresh thyme;
• 200 grams of bacon, cut into strips;
• 50 milliliters of olive oil for frying;
• 200 grams of fresh champignons;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Directions

1. Remove the carcasses from the refrigerator and let sit on a paper towel for about 1 hour. This is necessary so that the temperature of the birds approaches room temperature, and the skin is dry.
2. Rub the hazel grouse with a mixture of salt and pepper on the outside and inside.
3. Add a small bunch of thyme to the cavity of each carcass.
4. Wrap with thin strips of bacon and secure with wooden toothpicks.
5. Heat the oil in a deep skillet or saucepan. Fry the hazel grouses, starting from the back at a temperature of 180-200 degrees
6. Water the legs and breasts with oil to keep the carcasses from drying out. Be sure to add some oil inside too.
7. Turn the birds every 4–5 minutes so that the hazel grouses are fried evenly.
8. Young hazel grouses will be ready in just 20-25 minutes, and thin strips of bacon will be fried until crisp. For adult birds, increase the cook time to 30-35 minutes. Place ready-made hazel grouses separately and leave to "rest" for 10-15 minutes. If the carcasses are cut immediately, juice will flow out of them and the meat will turn out to be dry. While the birds are cooling, strain the oil that remains after the hazel grouses, fry 4 cloves of chopped garlic and champignons cut into quarters on it for 5-7 minutes.
9. Serve the birds in crispy bacon and mashed potatoes, garnished with mushrooms toasted until blush.