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Country Fried Grouse with Alabama White Sauce
This country-fried grouse with Alabama white sauce is an incredibly fun and tasty way to enjoy this delicious bird.
You can do this recipe with skinless grouse breasts as well, though it is much better with whole, skin-on birds. Plucking grouse can be a pain, but I think it is well worth it by the time I have one on the plate!
- Prep Time15 min
- Cook Time15 min
- Total Time30 min
- Ready in30 minutes + 4 hours marinating time
- Yield2-4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 whole grouse, plucked (or several skinless breasts)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon yogurt or sour cream
- Black pepper
- Vegetable oil or lard for frying
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Preparation
Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut the grouse along the spine from tail to neck, so that both sides of the back are fully separated. Put the grouse down on a solid surface, breast-side up, and press firmly down on the breastbone so the bird flattens out. This is called spatchcocking or butterflying.
Mix together the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt until the salt is fully dissolved. Add it to a ziplock bag or bowl and add both birds, being sure they are coated in liquid. Marinate for 4 hours, or up to overnight.
To make the sauce, add the mayo, vinegar, horseradish, mustard, yogurt, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix well. Set aside while you cook the grouse.
Heat 2” of vegetable oil or lard in a skillet to 325°F.
Mix together the flour, cornstarch, spices, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper on a large plate. Take the grouse out of the buttermilk brine and dredge in the flour so that every bit of surface is coated.
Add one of the grouse to the hot oil, skin-side down and press it flat with a spatula. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the interior temperature reads 160°F (if the bird is too large to fit in the skillet, feel free to cut it into more manageable pieces).
Drain on paper towels and let rest for 5 minutes. Repeat with the other grouse.
Serve each diner ½ or 1 whole grouse, smothered with the Alabama white sauce and a simple green salad on the side. Eat with your hands and get messy!
Notice how I didn’t have you scroll through pages of mundane nonsense to get to the recipe? Notice that there were no annoying pop-ups or ads? That was on purpose!
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