Grouse (lat. Bonasa bonasia) is a wild forest bird of the grouse family, a valuable representative of the order of chickens. Grouse can be found in many wooded areas of Europe and Asia. This bird is distinguished by its very small size and variegated, but dim plumage.
Thanks to the contrasting, “pockmarked” coloring, the bird got its name. But, despite the variegated pattern of the picture, the colors of the plumage are the most common – all shades of gray and brown. From ancient times to this day, hazel grouse, as a valuable game, is an object of hunting, as well as sports hunting.
Grouse meat composition
The chemical composition of hazel grouse meat includes high-quality protein containing many highly valuable amino acids, including essential fats, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Meat also contains a large amount of B vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium.
The natural habitat of hazel grouses is a wooded area, ecologically safe. These are coniferous forests with high humidity, black forest, taiga. These birds cannot live and reproduce in unfavorable ecological conditions. Therefore, it is believed that the meat of such game is much cleaner and healthier than the meat of chickens, ducks or even other game.
Useful properties and contraindications
The calorie content of hazel grouse is 253 kcal per 100 grams of meat. Its meat has a high nutritional value, however, due to its high fat content, it is not recommended for consumption by people suffering from obesity or cardiovascular problems.
At the same time, hazel grouse meat is a real delicacy and is rarely found on the everyday table, usually it is an element of a special banquet menu. Contraindications to the use of hazel grouse are individual intolerance to the product and impaired lipid metabolism.
The hunting season for wild birds opens in autumn and lasts until the end of winter. The hazel grouses are accustomed to a sedentary life and do not fly away for the winter.
Cooking application
The most valuable wild game is freshly caught and freshly shot. It is not customary for wild birds to be deep frozen. Grouse meat is unusually tasty, and not least due to its rather high fat content – more than 18%. The meat is tender, white and pink, it is this meat that is part of the classic recipe for the Olivier salad from the famous Yar restaurant.
Excellent soups and first courses are made from hazel grouses – due to their high fat content. Also a popular delicacy is hazel grouse baked or boiled in milk. As a rule, carcasses are cooked whole – this bird is small, rarely more than 400 grams in weight is found. Grouse is especially appreciated in traditional Russian and French cuisines.
