Grouse Rillettes with Boreal Gin and Fire Morels

Name: Grouse Rillettes with Boreal Gin and Fire Morels
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 7 h
Yield: 20 to 30 servings of spread
Cuisine: Boreal
Ingredients: 25 unit Grouse legs 20 to 30 legs depending on the season; 6 unit Grouse breasts 5 to 6 breasts, ideally the less photogenic ones; 450 g Pork tenderloin optional, for extra silkiness; 4 unit Garlic clove minced; 10 ml Juniper berries crushed with the side of a knife, 2 teaspoons; 30 ml Fresh thyme 2 tablespoons, or several sprigs; 3 unit Bay leaf; 10 ml Ground black pepper 2 teaspoons; 60 ml Salt generously, will be rinsed off after 24 hours; 1500 ml Chicken stock about 1.5 L: homemade grouse stock ideal, otherwise chicken stock or water; 400 g Duck fat 40% of the shredded meat weight; 10 g Fine salt adjust to taste after assembly; 160 ml Gin 125 to 200 ml of boreal gin, like Ungava or Pied Mort; 30 g Dried fire morels rehydrate in warm water for 30 minutes

Honor the whole harvest. Legs, less photogenic breasts — all of it goes in.

Prep1 h

Cook6 h

Yield20 to 30 servings of spread

DifficultyIntermediate

theuplandcook.com/en/recipes/grouse-rillettes-boreal-gin-morels

Ingredients

Meat

25 — Grouse legs (20 to 30 legs depending on the season)
6 — Grouse breasts (5 to 6 breasts, ideally the less photogenic ones)
450 g — Pork tenderloin (optional, for extra silkiness)

Marinade

4 — Garlic clove (minced)
10 ml — Juniper berries (crushed with the side of a knife, 2 teaspoons)
30 ml — Fresh thyme (2 tablespoons, or several sprigs)
3 — Bay leaf
10 ml — Ground black pepper (2 teaspoons)
60 ml — Salt (generously, will be rinsed off after 24 hours)

Cooking

1500 ml — Chicken stock (about 1.5 L: homemade grouse stock ideal, otherwise chicken stock or water)

Binding (per kg of shredded meat)

400 g — Duck fat (40% of the shredded meat weight)
10 g — Fine salt (adjust to taste after assembly)
160 ml — Gin (125 to 200 ml of boreal gin, like Ungava or Pied Mort)

Aromatic garnish

30 g — Dried fire morels (rehydrate in warm water for 30 minutes)

Steps

01Marinate 24 hours ahead
In a large bowl or heavy plastic bag, coat the legs, breasts and pork tenderloin with the salt, minced garlic, crushed juniper, thyme, bay leaves and black pepper. Toss to distribute everything evenly. Cover and refrigerate for a full 24 hours. Don't skip this step: this is what seasons the meat all the way through.
02Rinse and set up for cooking
The next day, thoroughly rinse all the meat under cold water to remove excess salt and aromatics. Pat dry carefully with paper towels. Transfer the meat to a slow cooker set to Low, or to a cast-iron Dutch oven in a 250°F (120°C) oven.
03Slow-cook 5 to 6 hours
Fully cover the meat with poultry stock (or homemade grouse stock if you have it). Cook over very low heat for 5 to 6 hours, never boiling. The meat is ready when it slides off the bones effortlessly with a fork.
04Prepare the morels
While the meat cooks, rehydrate the dried morels in warm water for 30 minutes. Once softened, chop them coarsely. Filter the soaking liquid through a coffee filter and save it. In a skillet, sauté the morels in a spoonful of duck fat over medium-high heat until well browned. Let them cool completely in the refrigerator. They need to be cold when added at the end.
05Shred and weigh
Remove the meat from the broth. Filter and save the broth. Shred the meat with a fork while it's still warm. Plan for two or three passes: there are lots of small bones, cartilage and tendons to pick out, especially from the grouse legs. Be patient, this is what makes the difference. Weigh the net shredded meat: that number determines your fat and salt ratios.
06Bind with fat and gin
Melt a spoonful of duck fat in the bottom of a large pot over low heat. Add the shredded meat and the fine salt (10 g per kg of meat). Slowly incorporate the rest of the duck fat (400 g per kg) while stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon for 10 to 15 minutes. You'll see the texture shift, becoming smooth and glossy. Then add the boreal gin, the filtered morel soaking liquid and one or two ladles of the reserved broth. Keep stirring vigorously for 5 more minutes so the meat absorbs the liquids. The final texture should be like a thick porridge.
07Fold in the cold morels and taste
Pull from the heat. Fold the cooled morels in gently with a spoon, taking care not to crush them. Taste: while hot, it should taste slightly over-salted. That's normal — the salt will mellow as it cools and matures. If needed, add 5 more grams of salt per kg.
08Mold and seal with fat
Transfer the rillettes to loaf pans, terrines or Mason jars. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon to chase out air pockets. Smooth the top, then seal each container with a thin layer of melted, cooled-but-still-liquid duck fat. This layer is what preserves and protects from bacteria.
09Mandatory fridge maturation
Mature in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 days before serving. This rest is what allows the gin, salt and woody morel notes to fuse. Without it, you're just eating shredded meat in fat. With it, you're eating rillettes. Keeps 2 weeks in the fridge once sealed, or several months if you process them in Mason jars.
10Serve simple
Take the rillettes out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving so they soften. Serve at room temperature, spread thick on good toasted country bread, with sour pickles, pickled red onions, a dab of strong mustard and a glass of brown beer. That's it. Don't overcomplicate a good thing.

Grouse rillettes molded in a small jar, sealed with a duck fat layer, served with toast and pickles