We’re waving good-bye to August and saying hello to September and the game season. Get ready to be very cosy
August is over and we’re a bit sad. Our days of picnics, barbecues and bare legs are numbered. On the plus side, it’s September, which means we can start eating steaming, hearty dishes, enjoy hot drinks and wear knitwear. We’re also now into game season – a six-month period, which starts on the ‘glorious 12th’ in August and ends with the duck and goose season in February. Jesse Dunford Wood is head chef at London’s Mall Tavern and a seriously dedicated game enthusiast, spending much of if his spare time in winter in the wilds chasing game and running his Game On menu during the season. We asked him for his favourite game dish and he came back with this elegant soup. For the game you can use grouse, partridge, quail or pheasant (Jesse recommends Donald Russell for buying game). Remember to watch out for shot...
GAME SOUP
Serves 4
1 roast grouse/partridge/quail/pheasant, meat picked off and reserved, and the bones made into a simple stock with a few vegetables such as carrots, onions and leeks.
500g frozen sweetcorn kernels. Save a little bit for a garnish.
2 garlic cloves (sliced)
500g the stock from the picked game carcass
500g cream
150g shallots sliced
5g thyme
Salt and pepper
Popcorn and lamb’s lettuce to garnish
Combine the sweetcorn, garlic, water, cream, shallots and thyme together in a pot and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes to infuse all the flavours. Season well and blitz with a hand blender. Re-season if necessary.
Put the soup in warm bowls and add the game. Sprinkle over a few reserved sweetcorn kernels, popcorn and lamb’s lettuce. Add a glug of olive oil and serve
