Roast Grouse Recipe - How to Roast a Ruffed Grouse | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

What temperature do you cook ruffed grouse to? ›

Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove grouse from the fridge and pat dry. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while the oven is heating. Halve the lemon and stick each half into the grouse.

Season the birds all over, as well as inside their cavities. Once the fat is searing hot, carefully put the birds in the tin, breast-side down, and roast for 15-20 mins, depending on the size of the birds. Remove from the oven and rest the grouse on a plate covered with baking parchment while you make the gravy.

Roast grouse with game chips, watercress and bread sauce

This is the most traditional way of cooking and serving grouse, so if you're looking for a classic example of British game, this is the recipe to go for.

Grouse is a lean bird, so needs to be cooked carefully to prevent it from drying out. It should be served pink, as this ensures that the moisture is retained in the flesh. The offal is not to be missed - pan-fry the liver and heart and serve it on a slice of good toast, preferably sourdough.

Grouse should be served rare. You can tell whether they are cooked by presssing the breasts with your finger. They should be springy. If they're too soft, cook for a couple of minutes more.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Not only does this meat taste delectable, it also has many health benefits- bonus! Grouse meat contains significantly more protein than chicken meat; protein is essential for repairing muscles, fighting off diseases and keeping you healthy overall.

Any marinade that works with chicken will work with light meat game birds such as pheasant, quail, and ruffed grouse. Yogurt-based marinades are one of my favorites. The lightly acidic mixture tenderizes meat through an enzymatic process, without imparting too much sourness.

One of the best ways to do southern-fried grouse or quail is to soak them in buttermilk. The thick, fat-rich milk helps to tenderize the meat and maintain moisture. It also serves as an excellent compound to hold the dredged coating before cooking. Soak birds for 24 to 48 hours.

The meat from grouse has a rich, gamey flavour. Find out when grouse is in season, plus top tips to buy the best and prepare it for cooking.

Are grouse healthy? ›

Ptarmigan and grouse meat are excellent sources of protein. Protein keeps us healthy by building and repairing our muscles, skin and blood as well as helping us fight sickness. Ptarmigan meat is an excellent source of iron. One serving provides 50% of the iron we need in a day.

Much of the vitamin and mineral content of Ruffed Grouse compared to chicken were similar with grouse having slightly higher amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, riboflavin, and niacin.

Grouse have pretty much the same proportion of white / dark meat as chickens do, but they don't taste like chicken. The breast of young grouse is tender, with a mild gamey taste. The legs and the rest of the bird have a more pronounced gamey flavour.

Shaw says that even dark meat birds such as some ducks can always be served medium-rare safely. Grouse can be served medium-well—there should be a blush of pink when you cut into it. Both Carlson and Shaw are fans of making confit, especially with harder to cook and eat parts such as legs and wings.

Field Dressing Grouse and Ptarmigan

Slip the blade of a sharp knife under the breast meat and work it forward. When you hit the front – the wishbone – follow the wishbone right on down and peel the meat off. It's also possible to simply pry the breast meat out with your thumbs. There is no need to gut the bird.

Grouse is a lean and delicate meat that is best cooked rare or medium-rare and requires a gentle cook. Our beautiful, fresh birds are meticulously prepared to hold their shape and cook evenly. Young grouse should be browned lightly in a pan before transferring to a hot oven for 5-6 minutes.

Remove pheasant from skillet and set aside. Cook game meat thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165°F. Using the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat.

The longest recorded life span of a ruffed grouse in northern Minnesota was 7.8 years [65]. Annual survival rates of adult ruffed grouse typically range from 30% to 60% [156] and may be higher in the southern portions of the range [34]. Range-wide male survival averages about 34% [156].

Heat a large skillet over medium/medium high heat. Add the bacon grease and/or butter, Cook the grouse meat in the hot fat until golden brown, then flip it and cook the other side until golden brown. About 4 minutes per side. Remove meat and set aside on a plate.