Olive oil, salt, and pepper are the mantra for preparing foods for the grill. It's simple and good. A dry rub sprinkled on lightly oiled game can be quite tasty. Try Herb Rub for Birds (page 22) or Spicy Chipotle Rub (page 23) with this recipe, too.

• Make the Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce and keep warm or at room temperature.

• Prepare a hot fire in the grill.

• Flatten prairie chicken breasts with a meat mallet until ½ inch thick. Lightly coat with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

• Grill over a hot fire for about 1½ to 2 minutes per side.

• Serve each grilled breast with several spoonfuls of the Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce.

Prairie Chicken

This bird is abundant in the Flint Hills of Kansas on into Oklahoma. Prairie chickens fly in set patterns at the same time every day. Hunters often stalk them by being in position for fly-over time. The smart birds continue to fly at the same time; however, they reposition themselves 50 feet away from the pattern of the day before, just out of reach of the hunters' guns.