Warm grouse, plum, blue cheese and walnut salad

Serves 2

1 eggplant, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 tsp chopped thyme 2 tsp honey, 2 small cooked and peeled beetroots, cut in quarters, 2 plums, cut in half and pit removed, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp balsamic, 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 4 tbsp dry white wine, 50g blue cheese, 3 tbsp roughly chopped walnuts, Juice from half a lemon, 4 grouse breasts, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp each of roughly chopped basil, mint and parsley. A handful of salad leaves Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F Slice the eggplant lengthways, deeply score the flesh and lay in a baking tray. Mix the garlic, thyme and honey together and smear over the eggplant. Then add the beetroots to the same tray. Toss the plums with the cinnamon and balsamic and add to the tray. Drizzle the olive oil over everything (but mostly the eggplant) and season. Pour the wine into the bottom of the tray, cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for a further 20 to 30 minutes (the eggplant should be soft). Crumble the blue cheese and walnuts over the eggplant and bake for a further 5 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice into the tray juices and add the 2 tbsp of good olive oil (this is now

the dressing). Fry the grouse breasts in a pan in the 1 tbsp olive oil for a couple of minutes each side. Rest then slice. To serve, arrange the cooked vegetables, plums, herbs and leaves onto a plate then pour over the dressing from the tray and top with the sliced grouse.