The grandest of Indian dishes, this is curry but not as we know it. It combines two cooking techniques, braising and roasting, and the result is highly impressive.  Although the recipe calls for lamb, eel free to use hogget, mutton or even goat.

Serves 8-10

2 legs of lamb, weighing about 1.5kg each, trimmed of any surface fat

2 tablespoons red chilli powder

5 tablespoons ginger Paste

6 tablespoons garlic paste

250ml (1cup) malt vinegar

500g (2 cups) plain yoghurt

3 onions, sliced and fried until crisp

2 teaspoons royal (black) cumin seeds

1 tablespoon salt

6 bay leaves

3 cinnamon sticks, about 5cm (2 inches each)

5 green cardamom pods

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon chaat masala

4 tablespoons single cream

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

With the tip of a sharp knife, cut small incisions in the lamb legs at approximately 5cm (2-inch) intervals.  Mix together the red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, vinegar, yoghurt, fried onions, royal cumin and salt, then massage them over the legs, rubbing and pressing the spices into the gashes created by the knife. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Put the legs, drained of all marinating liquid, on an oiled baking tray, add the bay leaves, cinnamon and green cardamom, then cover the tray with foil. Place in an oven preheated to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and braise for 2 ½ hours, until the meat is very tender and ready to fall of the bone. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Remove the legs from the liquid and allow them to dry. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve and reserve to make the sauce.

Take the meat off the bone and cut into 5cm (2inch cubes).  Thread them on to 8-10 metal skewers and roast on a BBQ or under a very hot grill, basting frequently with the melted butter, until crisp and well browned. Finish with a drizzle of lemon juice, any leftover melted butter and the chat masala.

Or the sauce, bring the cooking juices to the boil in a small pan and simmer until reduced to a coating consistency. Correct the seasoning and stir in the cream, garam masala and fresh coriander. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve with a naan bread.

Cooks note: it is important to drain all the liquid from the legs before roasting them, in order to get a crisp finish.

This is the sort of dish that makes me feel fortunate about cooking in Britain. Although Indian food has a rich tradition of game cooking, it’s been lost due to the complete ban on hunting in India for over 60 years now and an entire generation of chefs have never cooked with any kind of game.

This is my effort to reclaim and preserve the lost art of game cooking in Indian food.

4 whole grouse

1 tablespoon corn or vegetable oil

For the marinade

1 tablespoon corn or vegetable oil

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and coarsely ground

8 cloves, roasted and coarsely ground

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

For the mince

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 whole dried red chillies

1 bay leaves

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste

1 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon red chill powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves

Remove the feathers and skin from the grouse, separate the breast and the legs and remove the bones from them. Clean and trim the breasts, mince the legs along with any other trimmings and set aside. If you don’t like your game too strong, then it advisable to bulk the mince with some lamb or other mince, or alternatively boil ity in salted water with pinch of turmeric and drain. This makes the mince milder.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a mixing bowl and fold the grouse breasts in it. Leave the marinated grouse for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

For the mince, heat oil in a pan; add bay leaves, red chilli followed by the coriander seeds and sauté till it releases the flavours. Add the onions and sauté till it gets a golden colour. Add the ginger and garlic paste and stir for a minute. Sprinkle the red chilli, coriander and cumin powders and stir for another minute. Now add the tomatoes and salt and cook for about 5 minutes until the oil starts separating. Stir in the leg mince and cook for about 5 minutes till the mince is done. Finish it with fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Heat oil in an oven proof pan, sear the breasts on both the sides for 30 seconds each side and cook under a pre-heated grill for 1 minute. Rest them for 5 minutes and serve with the mince.

Tip The grouse goes equally well with pumpkin pickle featured in the accompaniments section. The rich sweet flavours of the pickle work very well with the earthy, musky, gamey flavour of grouse.

Take care not to over cook the breast as it dried up very quickly. Grouse being a very lean meat cooks very quickly and best enjoyed cooked medium.