Preparing and Serving Grouse Recipes & Side Dishes

If you’ve had the good fortune of harvesting a few birds this grouse hunting season, you have the great opportunity to add some variety to your family’s dinner table.

From slow cooked to roasted to stewed, grouse can be deliciously prepared in many manners. Add appropriate sides and drinks, and your grouse-centered meal will be one to remember for a long time coming.

Check out our suggestions for grouse preparation and serving below:

Preparation

When it comes to preparing grouse, the age of the bird will likely dictate the manner in which it’ll be cooked. Young grouse taste best when roasted, while older grouse give the best flavor when slow cooked or stewed.

Note that grouse can tend to get dry, so avoid overcooking -- the bird should be served a little pink.

Determine which method is best for your bird, and try out an old favorite from your recipe box or one of the sample recipes below.

Sample Grouse Recipes

1. Stewed Grouse 

Ingredients:

• 2 grouse (not too young)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoons pepper
• 1/4 teaspoons onion salt
• 1/4 teaspoons celery salt
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or butter
• 2 medium onions, sliced thin
• 2 medium carrots, scraped and sliced thin
• 1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 small link sausages
• 1 tablespoon whiskey (opt'l.)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 1/2 cup boiling water

Cooking Method:

1. Cut grouse into quarters. 
2. Combine flour and seasonings; sprinkle over grouse. 
3. Saute over low heat in the drippings or butter. 
4. Line the bottom of a buttered casserole dish with the sliced onions, carrots and mushrooms; place browned grouse on top of the vegetables. Next add the bay leaf, sausages, whiskey and bouillon cubes dissolved in boiling water. Cover with a very tight lid.
5. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 2 hours. Stir well before serving.

(via justgamerecipes.com)

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2. Simple Roast Grouse Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 2 grouse
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 lemon
• Fleur de sel or other finishing salt

Cooking Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

1. Remove grouse from the fridge and pat dry. Let stand at room temperature for 25 minutes while the oven is heating. 
2. Halve the lemon and stick each half into the grouse. Smear butter all over the grouse, including a small knob in the cavity and under the neck where the crop once was. Use more than you think you need, at least a tablespoon per grouse.
3. Place in a roasting pan or, better yet, a cast iron frying pan and roast for 15 minutes.
4. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and turn the grouse on one side. Baste it thoroughly with the melted butter in the pan. Roast for another 10 minutes.
5. Repeat by turning the grouse on the other side. Be sure to baste again. Roast for 10 more minutes.
6. Remove the birds from the oven and let rest on a cutting board, covered in foil, for 10 minutes.

(via honest-food.net)

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3. Slow-Cooked Grouse with Chorizo Recipe

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 2 grouse, cut in half through the breast and backbone
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 onions, sliced
• ¼ bunch of thyme, leaves stripped
• A handful of sage leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup fresh chorizo, in big chunks
• 2 cups amontillado sherry
• Braised spinach or chard to serve

Cooking Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Add a good glug of oil to a heavy-based casserole dish (with a lid) and place over a high heat. Rub the grouse with oil, season and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
2. Turn the heat down and add another splash of oil to the pan. Add the onions, garlic, herbs and a pinch of salt and fry gently for 15 minutes, until the onions are soft and sweet, adding the chorizo for the last five minutes.
3. Return the birds to the pan and mix well with the onions. Pour in the sherry, bring to the boil, then cover with the lid and place in the oven for one hour, until the meat is falling off the bone. Serve with spinach or chard.

(via telegraph.co.uk)

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4. Side Dishes Served with Grouse

Seasonal sides that pair well with red meat or game will pair well with grouse.

Pick and choose your own favorite sides, or try these suggestions: 

• rice pilaf 
• beet salad 
• roasted Brussels sprouts
• sauteed mushrooms 
• roasted squash
• crusty bread
• baked yams

Wine Pairings with Grouse

Due to the gamey, robust taste of grouse, the best wines to pair with it are reds such as Pinot Noir or Burgundy.

What’s your favorite way to prepare grouse? Submit your Grouse recipe by email to Community at Bass Pro Shops