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Spent a glorious week on Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior baggin' grouse and woodcock and catching my first Coasters on a Spey rod. A rookie with the 2-hander and I love it! Fish were sparse but managed 2 very nice (21")Coaster Brook Trout on a Freight Train. One had a fantastic kype and both were in their spawning brilliance. Very Cool!(For those that don't know a coaster is a native Brook Trout that lives in Lake Superior and migrates up the rivers and streams to spawn in the fall. The N. Shore of Lake Superior, Minnesota and Ontario host the last strong remnants of this great fish. Efforts are underway to return them to Wisconsin and Michigan as well.)
I read with interest all the discussion earlier about the search for good grouse recipes. Here in Minnesota we have a awesome grouse population and I have cooked grouse dozens of different ways. I have got 3 recipes that I make every year and I feel they are knock out's. Hopefully you won't mind if I post them here.
Grouse w/ Cranberry-Sage Butter
ó 2 dressed grouse (approx. 1lb each)
ó salt & fresh pepper
ó 1 tart apple
ó 8 sprigs fresh sage
ó 1/4 cup cranberries
ó 2 tablespoons water
ó 1 stick butter (8tbs)
ó 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
ó 1 shallot, peeled and minced
ó 4 pieces good quality bacon
ó Dark stock or low salt canned broth or wine or water to cover the bottom of the roasting pan
Rinse birds, pat dry. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Core and quarter the apples. Place 2 quarters of apple and 4 sprigs of sage in each bird cavity.
In a small saucepan cook the cranberries in the water until the pop. Let cool. Pour berries along with butter, sage, and shallot into food processor. Process until combined.
Rub the birds with half of the mixture and drape 2 slices of bacon over each bird. Place on roasting rack set over roasting pan. Put about 2 inches of wine, stock, or water into the bottom of the pan. Tent the birds with aluminum foil and place in preheated 350’ oven.
Roast for 40 minutes. Remove foil and baste with more of the butter mixture if needed. Continue to roast for 5-10 more minutes or until browned. Carve grouse and serve with butter compound melting over each piece.
Grouse Bisque (My Favorite!)
ó 2 grouse (or more for bigger portion)
ó 1 cup water
ó 1 stalk celery
ó 1 small bell pepper
ó 1 small red onion
ó 1 cup of mushrooms
ó ½ cup flour
ó black pepper
ó salt
ó 1 quart half and half
ó 1 teaspoon dry mustard
ó butter
ó saffron
ó bacon grease
Place birds in a steamer with 1 cup of water. Steam 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool and save liquid in the pot. Pick meat from birds and set aside
Chop pepper, onion, mushrooms and celery fine and sauté in butter until golden brown.
Slowly add flour to make paste. Add small amounts of salt, pepper and saffron to taste. Add half and half and stir until creamy. Do not boil. Add dry mustard and bacon grease.
Add meat and adjust thickness with liquid from steamer.
Serve with a warm hunk of French bread, sharp cedar, and a cold amber ale.
Hints:
For the bisque recipe I have found that using 1 pint of half and half and the rest 1% milk works just fine and cuts down on some of the fat.
You don’t need very much saffron, just a pinch goes a long way. Be sure to start with very little and adjust the taste from there.
I typically need more butter when adding the flour. The flour soaks up the excess butter pretty quick.
Grouse with Wild Rice
2-3 Grouse
1 Cup wild rice(add more if needed for larger portions)
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic-minced
½ cup red onion-minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk (or ½& ½)
Salt and pepper to taste
This is a recipe I have developed and you can add or subtract items to suit your taste.
Start cooking the wild rice in a large pot (2 ½-3 qrt.). While rice has been started bake the Grouse in a 350 degree oven until no longer pink(you can bake on a rack set inside a pan and add a small amount of water to the pan to help the breasts stay moist). Take grouse out of oven and let cool. Separate grouse meat from breasts and pull or chop into small chunks, set aside. When rice is nearing completion add the garlic and onion. This will blend the flavors of the garlic and onion with the wild rice. Drain any excess water from the rice and put pan back on burner on medium low heat. Add grouse chunks, cream of mushroom soup and the milk. Mix all together thoroughly and heat but do not boil. Last but not least add the celery, this is added last to help it retain its crispness. Salt and pepper to taste.
I read with interest all the discussion earlier about the search for good grouse recipes. Here in Minnesota we have a awesome grouse population and I have cooked grouse dozens of different ways. I have got 3 recipes that I make every year and I feel they are knock out's. Hopefully you won't mind if I post them here.
Grouse w/ Cranberry-Sage Butter
ó 2 dressed grouse (approx. 1lb each)
ó salt & fresh pepper
ó 1 tart apple
ó 8 sprigs fresh sage
ó 1/4 cup cranberries
ó 2 tablespoons water
ó 1 stick butter (8tbs)
ó 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
ó 1 shallot, peeled and minced
ó 4 pieces good quality bacon
ó Dark stock or low salt canned broth or wine or water to cover the bottom of the roasting pan
Rinse birds, pat dry. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Core and quarter the apples. Place 2 quarters of apple and 4 sprigs of sage in each bird cavity.
In a small saucepan cook the cranberries in the water until the pop. Let cool. Pour berries along with butter, sage, and shallot into food processor. Process until combined.
Rub the birds with half of the mixture and drape 2 slices of bacon over each bird. Place on roasting rack set over roasting pan. Put about 2 inches of wine, stock, or water into the bottom of the pan. Tent the birds with aluminum foil and place in preheated 350’ oven.
Roast for 40 minutes. Remove foil and baste with more of the butter mixture if needed. Continue to roast for 5-10 more minutes or until browned. Carve grouse and serve with butter compound melting over each piece.
Grouse Bisque (My Favorite!)
ó 2 grouse (or more for bigger portion)
ó 1 cup water
ó 1 stalk celery
ó 1 small bell pepper
ó 1 small red onion
ó 1 cup of mushrooms
ó ½ cup flour
ó black pepper
ó salt
ó 1 quart half and half
ó 1 teaspoon dry mustard
ó butter
ó saffron
ó bacon grease
Place birds in a steamer with 1 cup of water. Steam 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool and save liquid in the pot. Pick meat from birds and set aside
Chop pepper, onion, mushrooms and celery fine and sauté in butter until golden brown.
Slowly add flour to make paste. Add small amounts of salt, pepper and saffron to taste. Add half and half and stir until creamy. Do not boil. Add dry mustard and bacon grease.
Add meat and adjust thickness with liquid from steamer.
Serve with a warm hunk of French bread, sharp cedar, and a cold amber ale.
Hints:
For the bisque recipe I have found that using 1 pint of half and half and the rest 1% milk works just fine and cuts down on some of the fat.
You don’t need very much saffron, just a pinch goes a long way. Be sure to start with very little and adjust the taste from there.
I typically need more butter when adding the flour. The flour soaks up the excess butter pretty quick.
Grouse with Wild Rice
2-3 Grouse
1 Cup wild rice(add more if needed for larger portions)
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic-minced
½ cup red onion-minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk (or ½& ½)
Salt and pepper to taste
This is a recipe I have developed and you can add or subtract items to suit your taste.
Start cooking the wild rice in a large pot (2 ½-3 qrt.). While rice has been started bake the Grouse in a 350 degree oven until no longer pink(you can bake on a rack set inside a pan and add a small amount of water to the pan to help the breasts stay moist). Take grouse out of oven and let cool. Separate grouse meat from breasts and pull or chop into small chunks, set aside. When rice is nearing completion add the garlic and onion. This will blend the flavors of the garlic and onion with the wild rice. Drain any excess water from the rice and put pan back on burner on medium low heat. Add grouse chunks, cream of mushroom soup and the milk. Mix all together thoroughly and heat but do not boil. Last but not least add the celery, this is added last to help it retain its crispness. Salt and pepper to taste.
