Poultry
Lagopus lagopus scotica
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Lagopus lagopus scotica is the red grouse of British and Irish heather moors—the scientific label for a bird synonymous with Glorious Twelfth sport and elite game cookery. Meat is dark, intensely flavoured, and scented by heather and bilberry diets. Young birds roast hot and pink; older birds need braising or pies. Bread sauce, game chips, and rowan jelly are traditional partners. Handle as true wild game with respect for season and shot quality.
Also known as: Red grouse (L. l. scotica), Lagopus lagopus scotica
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Characteristics
Preparations
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History
Red grouse occupied heather moorlands and fed local populations.
Victorian sporting estates industrialised driven grouse shooting.
Red grouse cuisine became a marker of British high game tradition.
Managed moors and restaurants maintained scotica as premium wild game.