Recipe: Poached Ruffed Grouse with Apricot Sauce

by
posted on March 14, 2020
poached-ruffed-grouse-with-apricot-sauce_lead.jpg

Ruffed grouse are a highly coveted gamebird throughout North America. Besides having a large distribution, the upland birds offer succulent white meat with a unique aroma and flavor. Ruffies, or bush partridge, as they are often called, like forest habitat and are often found on edges where they forage for berries.

Cooking grouse with apricots and fragrant spices is reminiscent of the tart and often tangy berries that grow in the wild, which naturally make a great accompaniment for the forest grouse.

Hunting camps are commonly where recipes are created, and although fresh ingredients are always preferred when cooking, a can of apricots in bird camp was the base and inspiration for this dish. Poaching the birds in a fruit sauce ensures the white flesh stays moist and tender, and helps to celebrate the natural flavors of the grouse.

Ingredients
• 4 to 6 grouse breasts, boneless
• 1 14 oz. can apricots, drained and stones removed
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions
1. Place the apricots, coriander and fennel seeds, salt and pepper, garlic, white wine vinegar, and olive oil in a food processor and blend until they form a smooth puree.
2. In a Camp Chef cast-iron frying pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat and brown the grouse, cooking on each side for approximately 2 minutes. It is important not to overcook the meat in this step, just brown it.
3. Pour the apricot puree over the browned grouse, cover the pan with a lid, and gently simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Serve the grouse on a bed of rice and top with extra sauce from the pan.

For more delicious wild-game recipes, click here.

Latest

Pease And Venison Lede 2
Pease And Venison Lede 2

Recipe: Creamed Venison and Peas

Brad Fenson creams together peas and venison in this wild-game take on a British classic.

Airport Conversation Leads to Wildlife-Related Charges

CDFW officers catch a pair of poachers after overhearing them on a plane.

NRA Files Lawsuit Challenging Colorado’s Excise Tax on Firearm and Ammunition Sales

On March 31, the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), together with the Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, Colorado State Shooting Association, Magnum Shooting Center and an NRA member, filed a lawsuit challenging Colorado’s 6.5-percent excise tax on the retail sale of firearms, firearm precursor parts and ammunition.

Tested: Magnum Research 10mm Magnum BFR Revolver

This 6-shot, single-action revolver may well be the first factory-made handgun chambered in this caliber in over three decades.

Hunting Heritage Trust Grant Applications Being Accepted

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearm industry, has opened the application period for the 2025 Hunting Heritage Trust Grants. They offer a total of $100,000 in financial support for programs that work to expand participation in hunting and the shooting sports.

Hardware Review: Marlin Model 1895 Dark

If you think lever-action rifles should only have walnut stocks and a blued-metal finish, then the new Marlin Dark series with its polymer buttstock and aluminum AR-esque handguard probably won’t be your thing. That’s a shame, because this recent offering in Marlin’s line of modernized, capable lever-action rifles has a lot going for it in terms of performance, functionality and fun.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.