Recipe: Easy Grouse Shawarma

Dark-fleshed grouse are often overlooked when compared to the succulent white flesh of quail, ruffed grouse, or pheasant. However, the dark meat of an upland game bird is rich in flavor with notes of the vegetation in its habitat. The spruce grouse is a great example, taking on a hint of conifer needles, which is its prime winter food source. Sharp-tailed grouse and prairie chicken can have a background of rose hips, and sage grouse obviously have a hint of sage.

Don’t shy away from dark meat; embrace the flavors. A recent hunt in northern Saskatchewan provided a bag of spruce grouse, perfect for making shawarma.

Middle Eastern flavors are used to create a marinade that both celebrates and enhances the bird's flavor. The aromatic spices will have your mouth watering before the birds are even cooked. Ensure you don’t overcook the bird but remember to sear it for extra flavor. Shawarma is traditionally made by stacking thinly sliced meat on a spit and roasting it slowly, but this easy version goes quickly from the pan to the pita.

When the birds are cooked, serve wrapped in a flatbread like a pita with yogurt sauce or hummus.

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 grouse breasts, skinless and boneless

Marinade

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cardamon
• ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional if you don’t like spicy)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp cumin
• Juice from ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper

The Wrap

• 6 flatbreads, (Lebanese pita bread, for instance)
• ½ head iceberg lettuce, sliced or shredded
• 1 large tomato, sliced thin
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 2 cups cheese, shredded (optional)

Directions

1. Add the marinade ingredients to a sealable bag or container and add the grouse. Massage the marinade into the meat to make sure each piece is coated. Place in a refrigerator and marinate for 24 hours for best results, or a minimum of three hours for those wanting to eat fast.
2. Heat a Camp Chef cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the grouse breasts and sear each side for four minutes. Remove the grouse from the pan, wrap it in foil, and let it rest for three minutes. Slice the grouse breasts into ¼-inch strips against the grain.
3. While the grouse cooks, make the yogurt sauce by combining the ingredients and whisking until it is blended.

Wrap it up

Spread a layer of yogurt sauce on a flatbread or pita. Add slices of grouse and top with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and cheese. Wrap it up and eat while warm.

*The yogurt sauce will last three days refrigerated.