The grive (a kind of thrush) is a coveted bird of the terroir that people in the south of France have been eating for generations in the months of winter...when the men go hunting in the hillsides. Their preparation goes something like this, for those with weak stomachs spare yourselves from reading past the colon: we pluck them, hang them in a dark closet with their innards intact (upside down) and allow them to ferment for two to three weeks or until a droplet forms on their beaks. This "goutte" as we call it indicates that the birds are ready to be wrapped in lard and roasted in the fireplace. After the 20 or so minutes it takes to cook them, we open a bottle of red and eat every part of them with toast. A salad of frisette with garlic dressing usually accompanies the meal as well as banter about whose grive ate a juniper berry (a berry which heightens the taste of the meat). A delicacy of Provence, author P. Labonté might call this dish, "real talk". I just hope I haven't hurt anyone's stomach...
