Ruffed grouse recipes?
 

I'm always looking for a new idea for the better use of these very fine gamebirds. Presently, I'm a little stuck on two well-proven approaches, which are bacon-wrapped and stir-fried.

Rebecca Grey (of Grey's Sporting Journal) says in her cookbook that ruffed grouse are at the pinnacle of all the gamebirds (as far as table fare goes) and I would tend to agree with her.

I've even performed an unscientific survey on some fellow bird hunters a few Christmas's ago here (& several were dedicated southern fried quail fans) and by the end of the evening, ruffed grouse was declared the undisputed winner.

What are some of the favorites recipes here?

The traditional way we always cooked gamebirds up here was plucked stuffed with savory bread dressing and roasted whether it be ptarmigan ,grouse or duck...I dont have patience much anymore to pluck grouse but if its an unmarred bird I occasionally go through it

Ruffed grouse has such a wonderful delicate nutty flavor I never assault it with anything that masks or alters its natural flavor.
I sautee the boned breasts and thighs in butter. Served with seasoned long grain and wild rice and asparagus or another green… That’s the way I do it. Yup, it’s unimaginative but to my mind and taste, it’s the only way I’ll prepare grouse for the table.





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here is my favorite - I changed grouse to Cornish game hen when I submitted it to a cook book done as a class fund raiser when my son was in grade school, a loooong time ago :rotf: adjust the time depending on the size of the grouse - and plucked/skin on to prevent drying out - I often double the rice to have as a side dish

At weatherby's Camps they have boned the breast out into strips and left the legs whole and pan fry them just until done then make a bourbon cream reduction with fresh rosemary. I'll say it's pretty good but doesn't keep the bird as the main star. I've used the simple pluck and season with salt very little pepper and roast until like 120 then put it on the stove and use a whole heap of butter and get that foaming with the bird in it and just pan bast it with a large spoon over and over and over until your wife thinks you're bat shit crazy. The skin browns up and done right the bird is perfectly cooked. I will throw some apple OR mushroom in the cavity while roasting.

Mr. Romig: Rebecca Grey agrees with your assessment of the delicate flavors of the bird. If one only bags one or two birds per year then by all means, pan fry them in butter and savor the delicacy fully. Up in Nowhere, MN however, we tend to harvest between 30 to 60 birds a season in a good year (that'd be alot of just pan-fried grouse) so over the years several recipes have been developed there to capitalize on this rather unique resource.

I age my birds carefully now (for 3-4 days undrawn in a refrigerator to enhance that singular flavor) and to make them even-more tender. Aging, brining, and then pairing them with sauces and other complimentary flavors (that enhance the experience) is how we celebrate the Fall season up there.