ALDER CONE SMOKED GROUSE W/ FERN ROOT GLAZE & SALAL SAUCE

      Title: ALDER CONE SMOKED GROUSE W/ FERN ROOT GLAZE & SALAL SAUCE
  Categories: Game, Native, Canadian, Sauces, Poultry
       Yield: 4 Servings
  
       2 tb Licorice fern root
       2 tb Gewurztraminer icewine
     3/4 c  Water
       3 c  Dried alder cones
       2    Wild grouse breasts, bone in
            -and skinless
            Juniper & Salal Berry Sauce:
   1 1/3 c  Water
   1 1/2 c  B.C. Pinot Blanc wine
   3 1/2 c  Salal Berries
   1 1/2 tb Maple syrup
   1 1/2 tb Black peppercorns
       8    Juniper berries
   1 1/2 tb Balsamic vinegar
  
   Recipe from Northern Bounty: A Celebration of Canadian Cuisine. The
   ISBN is 0-394-22431-0. Recipe by Sinclair Philip, owner of the Sooke
   Harbour House on Vancouver Island.  Sinclair believes in local
   ingredients, freshness and learning about and using wild ingredients
   from the native peoples. His restaurant has vegetable and herb
   gardens full of plants transplanted from the bush for use in the
   kitchen. At Sooke, chefs prepare this dish with a salad of foraged
   wild greens and flowers: amaranth, chicory, chickweed, lamb's
   quarters, orache, shepherd's purse, and sorrel.
   
   Alder: a deciduous tree, member of the birch family with woody cone
   like fruits. Common in swamps and mountainous areas. [ I am going to
   try black spruce cones- our commonest local tree. (Update: this was a
   terrible idea- bitter tarry smoked taste) If that doesn't work I can
   fall back on store bought fruit wood chips or do a Chinese Tea
   Smoke.- JW]
   
   Licorice Fern: I have no idea what it's geographic range is or what
   flavor it's root would impart. Based on it's name I am going to try
   diced Fennel bulb, Fennel seed or a _wee_ bit of Star Anise stewed in
   Port instead.-JW
   
   Salal Berries: Salal is a low [up to 2 meter] evergreen shrub of the
   Heath family native to California, B.C. and Alaska with white to pink
   urn shaped flowers and round purple berries which turn black. [There
    are none locally so I will be experimenting with cranberries or
   black currants.- JW]
   
   Directions:
   
   In a small covered sauce pan, gently simmer fern root in icewine and
   water for 20 min. Pour into a glass jar, seal and let stand at room
   temp for 12 hours. Strain into a small saucepan and boil, uncovered,
   on high until reduced to a thick syrup. Set aside.
   
   Heat alder cones in a large aluminum foil lined sauce pan over high
   heat until they smoulder. Reduce heat to low; place grouse breasts
   directly on top of the smouldering cones. Lightly brush the breasts
   with the fern root glaze; cover pan tightly. Smoke breasts for 3
   hours or until cooked but not dry. Remove the meat from the bone and
   serve with Juniper-Salal Berry Sauce.
   
   For the sauce: Pour 1 cup water and the wine into the bottom of a per-
   forated double boiler. Place the salal berries in the top section.
   Cover; simmer gently for two hours. Gently press berries with a
   rubber spatula to extract remaining juice. Discard berries; reserving
   syrup in the bottom of the double boiler.
   
   To the salal syrup, add the maple syrup, peppercorns, juniper berries,
   remaining water and balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil and
   immediately remove from the heat; let stand an hour before returning
   to the heat. Cook, uncovered, until slightly thickened. Refrigerate
   until needed.
   
   posted by Jim Weller
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