Roasted Ruffies

[Sheepshooter]

I found this recipe in "Alberta Outdoorsmen" magazine. It is for ruffed grouse but I'm sure any upland game bird would work.

Grouse
-3-4 grouse
-1 lemon cut in quarters
-thyme, rosemary, salt & pepper to taste
-3-4 sheets of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each grouse

Marinade
-2 cups olive oil
-6 cloves garlic
-1 teaspoon thyme
-1 teaspoon rosemary
-1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black peper

Sauce
-1/4 cup dry white wine
-1/4 cup chicken stock
-1 1/2 tablespoons butter
-salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Put the grouse in a Ziploc plastic bag and add the marinade- slosh the marinade around well and keep refrigerated at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Turn the bag a few times while it's marinating. Just prior to cooking remove from the fridge and bring them to room temperature.
Season the inside/outside of each bird with salt and pepper, a dash of thyme and rosemary-place each bird breast side down in a sheet of aluminum foil; put 1/4 lemon slice in the chest cavity, pulp side down, and tightly close the foil around each bird to ensure a good seal.
Put the birds in a roasting tray with the breast facing down and roast for 45 minutes in a preheated oven at 375 F. Open the foil and brown the birds for another 15-20 minutes.
Remove the grouse from  the foil and set aside on a serving platter- cover with foil to keep them warm, after discarding the lemon wedges. Pour the juices from the grouse that collected in the foil into a skillet; add the prepared "sauce" (minus the butter) to the juices and boil for a few minutes to reduce the contents, adding the butter in batches.
Carve the meat from the breasts and drizzle with the sauce prior to serving.

I made this yesterday for my wife who is fairly new to wild game and I think she fell in love all over again. I served it with penne topped with a tomatoe alfredo sauce, a tossed salad, and a nice Chardonnay.
This recipe is a bit of work but well worth it. When I was putting the spices on I thought that it was a little much but the flavours are very subtle and the lemon adds a nice touch.

[jamesh76]

Sounds good. I will have to give this a try on some Pheasant.

[coaster500]

I've got some Chuker. I'll give it a shot