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A unique opportunity presented itself here last night. We've served both species at past events, but never together and never as a deliberate comparison before. We even had a true southern gentleman and his wife here (both grew up near to Memphis) to be somewhat-unbiased observers. I grilled some quail that had been shot & skinned and frozen last November (not ideal, clearly), but we brined them carefully and kept them in a simple marinade of olive oil, parsley flakes, paprika, and salt & pepper. I'd aged these birds before cleaning and freezing them, however, and grilled them whole, very carefully, to not overcook or dry them out. By all accounts from the gathered sports folks who consumed them, they were very good indeed. I then plated some ruffed grouse for them to try. These birds were also aged, skinned, and then brined. I did, however, pound some bacon strips very thin and then wrapped the cleaned individual breast and other tender parts. Pared with a good sauvignon blanc (and perhaps some good bourbon Old-Fashioneds) we performed the side-by-side taste tests. Even my Southern Folks (who'd never had ruffed grouse before) had to admit that ruffed grouse was pretty spectacular. We then went on to compare grilled mule deer with elk (which I made something-of a hash of because I'd overcooked the deer tenderloins, not severely....but still more than I would normally do). Served with a mild parm/romano cheese & onion polenta, a poached-pear salad, and gorgonzola blue-cheese sauce (with a cranberry-horseradish condiment) I didn't get a chance to solicit input (on my 3rd Old Fashioned by that point and somehow forgot) but....there were no leftovers. Shovelling snow here this AM in 16-degree below zero weather and feeling the effects of the prior evening's event. Ho, Ho, Ho!
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