The Wild Gourmets Wild Gourmets episode guide

Date Published:

10/10/2007

Yorkshire

Heading up to the moors, where three quarters of the world’s heather can be found, Guy and Tommi go in search of red grouse, quintessentially English and much prized birds.

After ingeniously constructing their tent inside a ruined cottage – "a tent inside a house?" – they are offered the chance to go shooting in exchange for labour. First, they are invited to catch rabbits, which are caught by having nets erected around their warrens, and then being chased out of them by ferrets. They are then killed by 'necking', breaking their necks, for a quick, clean kill. Tommi is overwhelmed by the experience, finding it “quite emotional, but really important. "The braised rabbits form a delicious accompaniment to a side dish of red chard."

In exchange for vegetables, Tommi and Guy dig an allotment, discovering celeriac and red cabbage. Additionally, all manner of weird and wonderful vegetables are discovered, such as hairy bittercress, which forms a salad along with sorrel and hedge garlic, as well as fried onion. Eventually, after a successful season on the moors where they shoot three grouse, they are served up marinated in rosemary, sea salt, black pepper and oil, with potato and celeriac chips on the side.