INGREDIENTS

• -50g hay
• -100g crab apples, halved
• -2 juniper berries
• -2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked, plus extra to serve.
• -2 oven-ready grouse
• -Knob of butter
• -200ml cider
• -200ml reduced chicken stock
• -Pinch of Maldon salt

METHOD

1. 1)Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
2. 2)Pack a good layer of hay in the base of a large cast-iron casserole dish then scatter over the crab apples, juniper and thyme.
3. 3)Heat on the hob until the aroma of the hay is released, then season the grouse and lay them on the hay with a few pieces of butter on top.
4. 4)Pack more hay on top of the grouse then pour over the cider.
5. 5)Put the lid on and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or longer if you prefer your bird a little more cooked.
6. 6)Remove from the oven, take out the birds and leave them to rest.
7. 7)Strain the cider, pressing the pan contents through a sieve to extract as much flavour as you can from the hay and crab apples.
8. 8)Bring the cider stock up to the boil on the hob in a clean pan and reduce the liquid by half, then add the chicken stock and reduce this mixture to a glaze. Pass through a sieve again and keep warm.
9. 9)Using a kitchen blow torch, crisp up the skin of each grouse to give them an even golden colour.
10. 10)Brush with a little of the cider sauce, scatter with fresh thyme leaves and serve with more of the sauce alongside root vegetables.