Willow grouse can be done similar to chicken with a few specialities. Here are some tips:
- Always use the complete willow grouse. Cooking out the bones gives you an extreme tasty broth.
- If you cook it longer always keep it moist. In the oven cover it and bake it with water. Never let the meat getting dry.
- You get the most out of willow grouse when you get the taste in the food. The taste of willow grouse is very unique and tasty and it has good potential to give it’s taste to other foods like vegetables.
- Willow grouse has like venison in general very few fat. You should always add a good amount of oil or butter to intensify the taste.
- If you fry the breast, fry it short and very hot, close to the smoking temperature of oil (raps oil refined starts smoking at 190°C). Use oils without a strong own taste. Don’t throw the oil away after frying, use it for the meal. Do not use cold pressed oils for frying as they normally have a very low smoking point.
- Do not spice with too strong spices as it overrides the taste. Spicing with herbs is excellent like oregano, thyme. Also forest herbs fit very well like juniper (leafs and berries), Labrador tea, leafs of blueberry. Of course salt is always good.
- Willow grouse breast is excellent when you do it as sous vide.
- Fresh salad fits to every willow grouse meal.
