More than asparagus, or strawberries, or even the first native oysters of the season, the first grouse is an essential moment in the calendar. As it arrives in summer, it portends the shadow of autumn and of nights drawing in. The distinctiveness of its flavour makes it difficult to describe to those outside the UK who do not have access to them. A party of Sicilians eating at the restaurant last week enjoyed their grouse greatly but, when they asked what the Italian for grouse was, I was stumped.

It is a tribute to its distinctiveness that one treats grouse with caution. The classic English treatment of bread sauce, game chips and a light gravy is not gastronomic laziness but an exercise in restraint that pays respect for the bird, which has a character of its own. Heavy sauces are a disaster and, by and large, I eschew fruit: a grouse is intensely savoury but the meat has a sweetness that is lost when additional sweetness is added.

Last year, we gave a dinner for Giovanni Manetti, of the Fontodi estate in Chianti, and I thought grouse would be an ideal accompaniment to his wines. I wanted to do something a little more stylish and appropriate to a gastronomic dinner than plonking a roast grouse in front of my diners. A friend had described a dish he had in Venice – a langoustine wrapped in Lardo di Colonnata and griddled. It gave me the germ of an idea.

Rowley Leigh is the chef at Le Café Anglais
rowley.leigh@ft.com
More columns at www.ft.com/leigh

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Grouse in lardo with Swiss chard

If you have difficulty finding lardo, fatty pancetta is the best substitute. Should you wish, a good butcher will fillet the grouse breasts. Serves 4.

Ingredients
4 grouse
150g Lardo di Colonnata or fatty pancetta, thinly sliced
2 shallots
1 small carrot
1 celery stick
1 clove garlic
25g butter
thyme
a bayleaf
250ml red wine
500ml chicken stock
750g Swiss chard
1 lemon
nutmeg
25g butter

Method
● With a small, sharp knife, cut down between the legs and the body of the grouse and detach the legs. Lift the flap of skin covering the front of the breast and scrape the wishbone clean before cutting between the wishbone and breast, removing the bone.
● Run the knife tight down against each side of the breastbone, adhering as close to the bone as possible. Remove each breast in one piece. Sandwich the two breasts together so that the interior fillets touching, the skins are on the outside and the whole forms a plump oval shape. Wrap each pair of grouse breasts in the lardo or pancetta, securing them with a cocktail stick.
● Finely chop the shallots, carrot, celery and garlic and fry in the butter until golden. Chop the legs of the grouse and add to the vegetables.
● Add the herbs and the wine and bring to a boil before adding the stock (or a stock cube and water). Cook gently for 45 minutes, strain through a sieve and then reduce by half.
● Wash the chard and cut the leaves away from the ribs. Slice the ribs into batons, 5cm long and ½cm wide. Cut the leaves into ribbons of the same width. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan and add the chard ribs. Season with salt, pepper, the zest of the lemon and freshly ground nutmeg. Add the juice of the lemon and sauté gently until the chard starts to wilt. Add the green ribbons and stew gently for five more minutes.
● Heat a griddle pan. On a film of oil, add the grouse breasts.Let them colour on a lively heat, cooking for three minutes on one side before turning and cooking for a further three minutes. Remove and place them in a warming oven to rest and cook on to medium rare. Pour the reduced stock in to the pan with any juices from the pan and reduce again until a sauce consistency is achieved. Add a squeeze of lemon, seasoning and whisk in the butter. Serve the breasts (having removed the cocktail sticks) on a bed of chard with the sauce.