Add a taste of the wild to your kitchen repertoire.

For the truly blue-blooded, 12 August is a date to trigger excitement. Signalling the start of Britain’s 121-day-long grouse-shooting season, the Glorious Twelfth is a red-letter day for aristocrats and aspiring hunters alike, with tweed-clad troupes chasing the sought-after bird across moorland in Scotland and northern England. And although it’s largely sporting reasons that draw the world’s C-suiters, grouse and other game meats – including pheasant, partridge, woodcock, venison and hare – come high in nutrients and rich in flavour, making them worthy additions to anyone’s kitchen repertoire.

Step forward Mr Phil Vickery, chef and wild-meat enthusiast, whose latest book Game: New Ways to Prepare, Cook & Cure – written alongside experienced butcher Mr Simon Boddy – aims to demystify these revered wild meats. As more and more high-street butchers and supermarkets stock high-quality game, in step with increased interest in wild food, Mr Vickery’s innovative recipes, which span feathered, ground and river game, are sure to inspire would-be chefs. So whether your preferred hunting ground is moorland or Morrisons, here are five tips to bring a taste of the wild to your table.

“There are very strict seasons for game,” says Mr Vickery. “This means it is sustainable and only eaten when in prime condition.” When buying pheasant or grouse, he advises looking for young, lean birds for perfect roasting, with older birds better suited to braising, pâté and broths. With grouse, for instance, younger birds can be identified by bright plumage; with pheasants, look for shorter tail feathers and spurs.

If hunting your own birds, how long you hang them for can make or break a meal, says Mr Vickery. The process makes meat more tender and flavourful but depends on the age, the sex and the time of year. As a general rule of thumb, he says that one to two days is sufficient for all birds in late summer and early autumn, upping this to five or six as winter approaches. Pigeon is the exception to the rule, which Vickery advises eating fresh without hanging.

Unlike their artificially fattened farmed equivalents, wild meats are often extremely lean, which requires greater care when cooking to prevent them drying out. “Juicy, tasty and slightly undercooked,” is Mr Vickery’s mantra for game birds, with one recipe advising removing the breast, wrapping it in thin-sliced air-dried ham and cooking gently for just a few minutes on both sides. Likewise, his tip for cooking wild salmon is to undercook slightly and leave to rest in foil before serving.

Previously hunted for sport by the rich and poached by the poor for food, venison has seen a recent surge in popularity, according to Mr Boddy. “With healthy eating becoming more common, it slots in nicely as a red-meat alternative with lower cholesterol and little fat,” he says. Mr Vickery’s accompanying recipes do it justice with a rich, slow-cooked ragu to pair with pappardelle, and a big-hitting stew that combines the meat’s flavour with sweet prunes and juniper.

Beyond the main event, Mr Vickery says having a good stock will “help the taste and flavour of dishes immeasurably”. A full-flavoured base or gravy using bones from small game birds can be made as a big batch and frozen for lasting impact, while Mr Vickery also suggests a worthy accompaniment to game dishes. “Any cabbage works well with game,” he says. “Its earthy, sweet flavour is a perfect foil for game meats.”

Game: New Ways to Prepare, Cook & Cure by Mr Phil Vickery and Mr Simon Boddy is out now, £22, Kyle Books