Grouse Primavera with Penne

Come September it’s grouse season here in northern Montana. A few years back I was looking for a different way to cook it, so I swapped it in for the chicken in my pasta primavera. Randy loved it so much that it’s now the first thing we make with our first harvest every season. I give the sliced breasts a short salt-water brine and a fast sear in cast iron so they stay juicy, and the vegetables stay crisp while a simple cream and Parmesan sauce pulls it together. I hope your family enjoys it as much as we do.

4 dinner servings · Prep 25 min · Cook 25 min · Total 1 hr 20 min

Ingredients

For the grouse and brine

• 8 oz grouse breasts, skin removed (2 to 4 breasts, ruffed or blue), sliced crosswise into 0.5-inch strips (225 g)
• 2 cups cold water, for the brine (480 g)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, for the brine (15 g)
• 1½ tbsp avocado oil (20 g)
• ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground (1 g)

For the pasta and vegetables

• 12 oz penne (340 g)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, for the pasta water (15 g)
• 1 tbsp avocado oil or butter (14 g)
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (170 g) — from our farm
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips (150 g) — from our farm
• 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms, sliced (225 g)
• 2 medium carrots, sliced thin on the diagonal (120 g) — from our farm
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons (200 g) — from our farm
• 3 tsp garlic, minced (9 g) — from our farm
• ½ tsp fine sea salt (3 g)

For the sauce and finishing

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240 g)
• 1 cup Parmesan, freshly grated, plus more for serving (90 g)
• ½ cup reserved pasta water (120 g)
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, stacked and sliced into thin ribbons (8 g) (optional) — from our farm

You’ll need

• Large cast iron skillet
• Large pot for pasta
• Colander
• Box grater
• Instant-read thermometer
• Tongs
• Medium bowl for brining

Method

1. Run your fingers over the grouse breasts and feel for shot, then slice them crosswise into 0.5-inch strips. Partially frozen breasts slice much more evenly.
2. Stir the tablespoon of kosher salt into the 2 cups cold water until it dissolves, add the sliced grouse, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Thirty minutes is plenty for strips this thin; much longer and the meat turns spongy.
3. Drain the grouse, rinse it under cold water, and pat the strips very dry. Season with the black pepper only. Dry meat is the difference between a sear and a steam.
4. Fill a large pot with water, add the tablespoon of kosher salt, and set it over high heat to come to a boil while you prep the vegetables. Salty pasta water is the only chance you get to season the noodles themselves.
5. Heat the 1.5 tablespoons avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then lay in the grouse in a single layer. A half pound fits in one layer in a 12-inch skillet; use two batches in a smaller pan.
6. Sear the grouse without moving it for about 2 minutes, until a golden crust forms, then turn and cook 1 minute more, just until the strips are firm and no longer pink in the center. Move them to a plate and cover loosely. Brined grouse browns a little faster, so watch the first side closely and pull the meat right at 165°F.
7. Add the tablespoon of oil or butter to the same skillet, add the sliced onion, and cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, for 8 to 10 minutes until deeply golden and almost caramelized. Scrape up the browned bits from the grouse as the onions release their moisture.
8. Drop the penne into the boiling water and cook to al dente, about 10 minutes. Scoop out 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Set a timer 1 minute shy of the box time and taste; the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce.
9. While the pasta cooks, add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and carrots to the onions and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms give up their liquid and it cooks away. The carrots go in early because they take the longest to soften.
10. Stir in the zucchini and the 0.5 teaspoon salt and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the vegetables are brightly colored and still crisp at the center. Stop short of tender here; they will soften a little more in the sauce.
11. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 to 45 seconds, just until fragrant.
12. Pour in the heavy cream, bring it to a gentle simmer, and let it bubble for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the grated Parmesan a handful at a time until smooth. Keep the heat low once the cheese goes in or the sauce can break.
13. Add the drained penne and the seared grouse along with any juices from the plate, and toss well to coat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce clings to every noodle. Taste before salting; the brined grouse and the pasta water both bring salt.
14. Serve right away in warm bowls, scattered with basil ribbons and plenty of extra grated Parmesan.

Food safety: Cook grouse and all game birds to an internal temperature of 165°F. With thin strips like these, check the thickest piece with an instant-read thermometer and pull the meat right at temperature; carryover heat in a hot cast iron pan will take it past done quickly. Always check wild birds for shot before cooking, and keep the brine in the refrigerator, never on the counter.

Notes from our kitchen

• Eight ounces of breast meat is a modest amount of protein for four people, so the pasta came down to 12 ounces to keep the meat, vegetables, and sauce in balance. One cup of cream coats 12 ounces of penne nicely.
• Ruffed and blue grouse mix together fine in one pan. Blue grouse breasts are usually larger and a little darker, so slice them the same thickness as the ruffed and they will cook at the same rate.
• Broccoli florets, snap peas, asparagus, or green beans all work here. Add firm vegetables with the carrots and quick-cooking ones with the zucchini.
• The 30-minute salt-water brine seasons the meat through and keeps lean breast juicy. Skip any extra salt on the meat afterward, and rinse well so the sauce does not turn salty.
• If you want more meat in the bowl, 12 ounces of breast works with the same timing; sear it in two batches.
• Storing: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of cream or milk to bring the sauce back. Cream sauces do not freeze well.

Swaps

• Grouse breasts → Pheasant breast or boneless chicken thighs. Pheasant brines and cooks about the same, 3 minutes total. Chicken thighs need 6 to 8 minutes and should reach 165°F.
• Heavy whipping cream → Full-fat canned coconut milk or evaporated milk. Coconut milk makes it dairy-free if you also leave out the Parmesan; the sauce will be thinner and slightly sweet.
• Penne → Rotini, farfalle, or gluten-free penne. Gluten-free pasta often needs a minute less and more reserved cooking water to keep the sauce loose.
• Avocado oil → Light olive oil or bacon fat. No change in timing; bacon fat adds welcome richness to lean game.
• Fresh basil → Fresh parsley, or 0.5 tsp dried Italian herbs added with the garlic. Dried herbs need the pan heat, so stir them in early rather than at the end.

Contains: milk, wheat/gluten

Approximate nutrition per serving: 700 calories, 32 g protein, 77 g carbs, 31 g fat.

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