Gift Guide 2017: The Very Best Bird

I will never forget my first taste of grouse.  It was in London, and the bird had been hung for a long time (in Merry Olde Englande they believed in hanging birds until they literally fell from their necks), and then roasted in a wood oven. The flavor was unlike any bird I'd ever eaten: funky and filled with flavor, it was the blue cheese of birds.  I tore it apart with my fingers - and the scent lingered for hours. Red Grouse, which make the best eating, live only in Scotland and don't thrive in captivity.  I've never seen grouse served in an American restaurant, but if you have someone on your list with a taste for game, you can order a few wild grouse from D'Artagnan.   (If you're so inclined, you can also order a suckling pig from the estimable purveyor of exotic meat.)  Hunting season ended a few days ago, so right now the birds arrive frozen.  And you have to be careful of shot: these birds are wild, not farmed, so it's best to beware. Want to know a bit more?   This article is well worth reading.