Grouse breast

[Moose22]

I have company coming in a week and with 8 grouse breast left from the fall harvest I want to cook a nice dinner. I'm looking for something a little different. Any ideas?

[sirmissalot]

This will be interesting, I've quit killing them because I can't seem to get mine to eat worth a darn.

[hillbillyhunting]

My favorite way to eat grouse is to cook them over the fire when I have only eaten dried food, energy bars, and oatmeal for days but when at home my favorite way to keep them moist and delicious is this.

Lightly sear meat, add golden mushroom soup, sliced potatoes, mushrooms, seasonings, and enough liquid to make it look right (I like using an electric frying pan) then simmer until potatoes are soft and meat is cooked.  Easy and delicious.

[bobcat]

This is one I want to try:

Chicken Fried Grouse w/Homestyle Bacon Bourbon Gravy
Published by: Ultimate Upland Lodge on 11th Oct 2011 | View all blogs by Ultimate Upland Lodge
Warning: this recipe is rich and way too good. Given the ingredients, be prepared to walk it off with long hunts the following day. If you like mom's home cooking, this is the recipe for you.

4 grouse breasts
4 slices thick bacon chopped
1/2 large yellow onion diced
2 cup flour plus 3 T for gravy
1 small can (10.5 oz) beef broth (low sodium if available)
1/2 pint heavy cream
2 T butter for gravy plus 4 T butter/2 T oil for pan frying grouse
2 t pepper for gravy
Salt and pepper

Using kitchen mallet (or anything else heavy with a flat side), flatten grouse breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to a little less than 1/4 in thick. Salt and pepper breasts. Let sit while you start the gravy.

Cook chopped bacon and onions in saucepan over medium heat until bacon is cooked through and onions are translucent. Add 2 T butter and 3 T flour to start a roux. Once mixture is thick, gradually add 1/2 can of beef broth. Add 2 T of good bourbon. Mixture should be thick. Gradually add cream. If mixture is not desired thickness, mix 1-2 T additional flour with water (to a paste) and add to gravy mixture. Add 2 t pepper. Set gravy aside to stay warm.

Pour the second 1/2 can of beef broth in shallow bowl. Put 2 cups flour on large plate. Coat pounded grouse in flour, dip in beef broth and re-coat with flour.  In a non- stick pan, add butter and oil, heat to med-high making sure the oil is good and hot before and adding 2-3 breasts depending on size of pan. Cook for 2-3 mins each side until crisp on the outside, no need to overcook on the inside, will be done when still pink.

Ladle gravy over grouse and serve with French style green beans and apple sauce. A good red wine goes well with this dish.

http://www.ultimateuplandlodge.com/magazine/read/chicken-fried-grouse-whomestyle-bacon-bourbon-gravy_110.html

[Cascade]

I haven't tried too much with grouse yet.  That said, the wife likes it best when I cut the breasts into nuggets, bread and fry them.  Then toss them with a good buffalo style hot sauce.

[superdown]

what we do is super simple we just take the breast's and shake some garlic salt and pepper then coat with flour and pan fry serve with a green salad. sometimes we soak them in buttermilk overnight.

[MtnMuley]

They're so good with a dusting of flour and Johnny's then fried in butter/oil, that I basically refuse to have them any other way.   The recipe Bobcat  posted will definately be tried though.

[sirmissalot]

Thats one thing I haven't tried is frying them, those are good suggestions I may have to start killing them again 

[MtnMuley]

Thats one thing I haven't tried is frying them, those are good suggestions I may have to start killing them again 

   You should retract your first comment until you have them fried...I don't know anybody personally, that will passs up a grouse fry -- women included!   Have you been baking them?  If so, I'd imagine I'd quit hunting the things as well, lol!

[ICEMAN]

Not really highbrow, but I prefer to pan sear them in a bit of olive oil and pepper. Then after browned, I pull them from the pan and let them rest while I start cooking something else in the pan.   I then start cooking a few boxes of vermicelli and rice (rice-a-roni) in the pan. Once it is browned, I then add the grouse back in, turn the heat down and pour some wine around them and let all simmer until done. ( I also add some chantrelles to this meal as well as some minced onion)

I cook this in the mountains at camp, plus at home. Very good meal.

[waoutdoorsman]

 
I've grilled them and put a cranberry sauce over it , it was good
I've never had a bad batch of grouse tastes like lean chicken to me

[Pinetar]

What Mtnmuley said. It is the best way and can't be beat! It is my 8 year old daughters favorite meal.

[DoubleJ]

I can't kill them

[Moose22]

Thanks guys, I have tried several of the suggestions many times. I guess I will just have to split it into two yummy meals. A breakfast and a dinner. Iceman, I thought I was the only freak who took pictures of meals that I have cooked. Awesome.

[ICEMAN]

Moose, nope, you are not the only whacko who takes pics of their camp grub. been doing it for years. I will have to do a thread on the Elderberry/Apple pie I bake every year at 4500'

[Mike450r]

fry some bacon,  set aside bacon and cut grouse breast into chunks,  fry grouse in bacon grease.  boil some fettucini noodles, put grouse and crumbled bacon into pan with alfredo sauce, heat until nice and hot, drain noodles when done, add sauce to noodles and enjoy

[ICEMAN]

fry some bacon,  set aside bacon and cut grouse breast into chunks,  fry grouse in bacon grease.  boil some fettucini noodles, put grouse and crumbled bacon into pan with alfredo sauce, heat until nice and hot, drain noodles when done, add sauce to noodles and enjoy

That sounds really good. 

[bobcat]

fry some bacon,  set aside bacon and cut grouse breast into chunks,  fry grouse in bacon grease.  boil some fettucini noodles, put grouse and crumbled bacon into pan with alfredo sauce, heat until nice and hot, drain noodles when done, add sauce to noodles and enjoy

That sounds really good. 

   You're making me hungry!   

[bearpaw]

fry some bacon,  set aside bacon and cut grouse breast into chunks,  fry grouse in bacon grease.  boil some fettucini noodles, put grouse and crumbled bacon into pan with alfredo sauce, heat until nice and hot, drain noodles when done, add sauce to noodles and enjoy

That sounds really good. 

   You're making me hungry!   

 

[Alchase]

I use some Johnney's and garlic mesquite rub, wrap with bacon and let the my boys cook them over the camp fire. They really get into it.
Grouse was their first teaching moment on how to gut, clean, and prepare wild game from field to fire.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Does not matter much how you season a grouse or pheasant breast its yum yum no matter what   

[Dhoey07]

A little tip for cooking grouse, after breading and pan frying grouse, add some water to the frying pan (maybe halfway up the breast) then cover it and let it steam until the water is about gone.  This will make it very tender and it will melt in your mouth!

[Bigshooter]

They're so good with a dusting of flour and Johnny's then fried in butter/oil, that I basically refuse to have them any other way.   The recipe Bobcat  posted will definately be tried though.

 

Grouse has awesome flavor and I won't cook them in a way where the flavor is changed.

[The Weazle]

One of my favorites is grouse mcnuggets, in a pot pie.

[bucksandbulls]

my favorite way is cut the breast in thirds , dip in buttermilk , dip in panko for a good crusting . the deep fry the suckers.  serve with ranch or aoli sauce for dipping, also deep fried broccoli is good with this.

[rasbo]

season and dust with flour,then brown them...dump any oil out of the pan,return meat to same pan,dump a can of mushroom soup in a bowl add 1/4 cup milk to that,pour that mixture over the meat,cover and simmer till tender...take the lid off,put a cup of crushed BBQ potato chips over it and serve,,cheese toast and steamed asperagus as a side

[Bigshooter]

season and dust with flour,then brown them...dump any oil out of the pan,return meat to same pan,dump a can of mushroom soup in a bowl add 1/4 cup milk to that,pour that mixture over the meat,cover and simmer till tender...take the lid off,put a cup of crushed BBQ potato chips over it and serve,,cheese toast and steamed asperagus as a side

 

[bobcat]

season and dust with flour,then brown them...dump any oil out of the pan,return meat to same pan,dump a can of mushroom soup in a bowl add 1/4 cup milk to that,pour that mixture over the meat,cover and simmer till tender...take the lid off,put a cup of crushed BBQ potato chips over it and serve,,cheese toast and steamed asperagus as a side

 

    I thought it sounded kinda "different" too. Guess we'll never know if we don't try it.   

[Bigshooter]

season and dust with flour,then brown them...dump any oil out of the pan,return meat to same pan,dump a can of mushroom soup in a bowl add 1/4 cup milk to that,pour that mixture over the meat,cover and simmer till tender...take the lid off,put a cup of crushed BBQ potato chips over it and serve,,cheese toast and steamed asperagus as a side

 

    I thought it sounded kinda "different" too. Guess we'll never know if we don't try it.   

You try it and tell me what you think.  If you say its good I still don't think i'll try it. 

[rasbo]

season and dust with flour,then brown them...dump any oil out of the pan,return meat to same pan,dump a can of mushroom soup in a bowl add 1/4 cup milk to that,pour that mixture over the meat,cover and simmer till tender...take the lid off,put a cup of crushed BBQ potato chips over it and serve,,cheese toast and steamed asperagus as a side

 

    I thought it sounded kinda "different" too. Guess we'll never know if we don't try it.   

its very good,its good over toast also...cream of chicken also works welll..Easy to make at camp....

[ICEMAN]

I would try it. Sounds fine!

[bobcat]

I would try it. Sounds fine!

Sounds ok to me too, except for the barbecue potato chips. I never have liked them.

[rasbo]

I would try it. Sounds fine!

Sounds ok to me too, except for the barbecue potato chips. I never have liked them.

you can use panko crumbs,anything,I like to mix some curry in with the soup also...

[Moose22]

I would try it. Sounds fine!

Sounds ok to me too, except for the barbecue potato chips. I never have liked them.

you can use panko crumbs,anything,I like to mix some curry in with the soup also...

I have tried it this way-minus the chips. Also added sour cream, put it on a bed of rice.

[go4itlab]

Best Grouse recipe. Was on a fire in eastern washington a few years back and nailed a Grouse with a rock. Now we had been living off MRE on the line for a few days, so I breasted and put it in an ice box. On the way back to  fire camp we stopped at a pizza place and the nice lady let me raid the salad bar, butter, chives, bacon bits and then gave me a good size piece of aluminum foil. Got some funny looks but  Went out to the line the next morning took my Grouse out, robbed the salt n pepper from the MRE and the Lil bottle of Tabasco, mixed it all up and then dug out a hot stop hole and buried it. Came back around lunch time dug it up and MAN  It was soooooo good.

[erk444]

My favorite way to cook them is to make grouse nuggets. I cut the breasts into chunks and then soak them in some buttermilk that has some seasoning in it in the fridge over night. Then we season up a big bowl of flour, roll the chunks around in it and put them in our little deep fryer. You can use any seasoning you like. My daughter is the pickiest eater in the world, and she loves them! Dang, now Im hungry! I hope they open the woods soon so I can go get some

[team steak em]

I have a saying "first they die then they fry" salt pepper flour cooking oil

[Huntbear]

Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Wrap with bacon, toss on the grill, until done.