Sharp-Tailed Grouse With Palisade Peach Jam
Elevate sharp-tailed grouse with this sophisticated recipe featuring Palisade peach jam. Proper knife work and temperature control ensure delicate results.
Sharp-Tailed Grouse With Palisade Peach Jam
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Category
Dinner
Cuisine
American
Author:
This recipe comes to us from Anthony Ferro, the founder of the hunting dog kennel Fetching Feathers, an avid upland hunter, and a friend of Montana Knife Company.
Servings
2
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Calories
420
Sharp-tailed grouse deserves a more sophisticated treatment than the usual camp-style preparation. This recipe, born from countless post-hunting experiments in my kitchen, pairs the delicate flavor of sharp-tailed grouse with the sweetness of Palisade peach jam.
The secret lies in proper knife work and temperature control. A clean, razor-sharp blade ensures you get the most from your bird while maintaining the meat’s integrity.
I love serving this dish to skeptical hunting buddies who claim they hate grouse — it always leads to a change of heart.
Ingredients
For this sharp-tailed grouse recipe, you’ll need:
- 2 sharp-tailed grouse breasts and legs, carefully butchered with a sharp boning knife
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 cloves garlic, precisely sliced (a sharp paring knife works best here)
- 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 tsp. fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Palisade peach jam (apricot jam works in a pinch, but trust me — seek out the Palisade peach)
- 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 ripe figs, sliced paper-thin with your sharpest knife
Directions
Here’s how to transform your hard-earned grouse into a special dish:
Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add those precisely sliced garlic pieces and let them slowly infuse the butter for about two minutes. Remove and reserve the garlic for later use.
Crank up the heat to medium-high. Once the pan is properly hot, add your grouse. You’re looking for a golden-brown crust, about two or three minutes per side. Don’t overcook — we’ll finish it later. Set the meat aside.
Pour in that sherry and let it simmer for 20 seconds, scraping up all those flavorful bits from the pan. Add your chicken stock, tarragon, and the star of our show: Palisade peach jam. Bring it to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let it work for five minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar and cook covered for another two minutes. This is where the sauce really comes together.
Finally, return your grouse to the pan and let it simmer until it reaches medium-rare to medium, about a minute more.
Plating Your Sharp-Tailed Grouse With Palisade Peach Jam
Pour that beautiful sauce on the plate first, then place your grouse on top. Add another spoonful of sauce over the meat, and crown it with those paper-thin fig slices.
Recipe Note
Expert Tips for the Perfect Sharp-Tailed Grouse and Palisade Peach Jam Recipe
Your knife work matters — a lot.Clean cuts mean better presentation and more even cooking. Keep those blades sharp to stay safe and respect the game.
The Palisade peach jam is nonnegotiable if you can get it. These Colorado peaches balance the grouse’s wild flavor. I’ve tried this recipe with store-bought peach jam, and it’s just not the same.
When it comes to doneness, remember that grouse, like all wild game, deserves a gentle touch. Overcooking will rob you of all that flavor you worked so hard to get in the field. Think medium-rare to medium at most.
This dish honors the bird and the hunt. Every time I serve it, I’m reminded of those crisp autumn mornings in the uplands, working with good dogs and carrying a trusty side-by-side. That’s what wild game cooking is all about.
