If you aren’t frying your grouse legs you’re doing it wrong.
As convenient as it may be, standing on the wings and pulling on the feet maybe, you’re missing out. Those solid dark meat thighs that many a hunter leaves in the woods are fine table fare after a quick baptism in hot oil. Good enough that I often clean the grouse of hunting partners that are firm believers in the stand on the wing blasphemy method. That is if I get to keep the thighs. There is not a person who has tasted the dark purple turned white from cooking breast meat of a Ruffed Grouse that will deny the fact they have a nice light flavour and are well worth the time spent pursuing them.
To many proud wing shooters, grouse hunting is the fly fishing of the bird hunting world. Now I will not deny shooting a flushed grouse on the wing is a satisfaction I enjoy,come September First my old Cooey .22 is what I reach for. Driving forest roads as the setting sun paints the mountain tops in that familiar autumn glow, is something I look forward to each year that goes by. As the slide alder and thimbleberry branches tickle the truck paint , a keen eye is kept for that dark shadow that could be a Ruffed Grouse. Grouse! Nevermind it’s a rock, seems to be way too familiar during the general open season. But when a grouse is spotted crossing the road with a crop full of white clover leaves and elderberries the stalk is on. The truck is parked, a round chambered in the old single shot, and it’s time to slowly creep within range to make a well placed neck or head shot. This method, when successful and lawful to do so, dispatches a grouse swiftly with no meat loss or pellets in the breast to pick out back at the house. After a rough plucking and gutting, the breast meat with feathered wings still attached and legs are bagged and ready for transport.
Back at the house the wings, and any torn skin or feathers are removed and the breast meat and legs are ready to cook. The wings are frozen for trapping bait and the organ meat and other scraps are given to the dogs. The breasts are slightly flattened with a meat mallet, and the legs tenderized with a fork. After being patted dry with a paper towel, they are seasoned with seasoning salt and ready to be floured. After a dusting in flour they are dropped into a deep cast iron pan of hot oil to fry till golden brown. It only takes a few minutes then they are fished out and placed on a drying rack over a cookie sheet to drip dry. Before the oil finishes dripping, the crispy skin is seasoned with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Cooking the legs nearly doubles the amount of meat and they are far better than the average chicken wing. Next Fall when out in the grouse woods prior to the big game rifle season give them a try, you will not be disappointed.