Old Timber Outdoors
More grouse recipes

Ruffed grouse breast fillets

Lemon Garlic Grouse Linguine

Strips of ruffed grouse breast seared fast, then tossed with linguine, butter, lemon, garlic and Parmesan.

Serves
4
Hands-on
25 min
Total
35 min
Skill
Easy

Cooks on: Stovetop · Dinner

Ingredients

  • 1 lbRuffed grouse breast fillets, breast fillets from 3 to 4 birds, sliced into ½-inch strips
  • 3 tbspButter
  • 4 clovesGarlic, thinly sliced
  • 1Lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 tspSalt, plus more for the pasta water
  • ½ tspBlack pepper, ground
  • 12 oz dried linguine pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley

You'll need

  • Stovetop
  • Large skillet, ideally cast iron
  • Instant-read thermometer

Contains

Gluten, Dairy. Some dried pasta contains egg. Check the label.

Method

  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the linguine until just tender. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
  2. While the pasta cooks, season the grouse strips with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Sear the grouse in one layer, in two batches if needed, 2 minutes per side, until browned and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest strip. Move it to a plate.
  4. Lower the heat to medium. Melt the butter in the skillet and cook the garlic and red pepper flakes until the garlic is pale gold, about 1 minute.
  5. Add the lemon juice and ½ cup of the pasta water and scrape up the browned bits. Add the drained linguine and the Parmesan and toss until the sauce turns glossy, adding more pasta water if it looks dry.
  6. Fold in the grouse and any juices, the lemon zest and the parsley, and serve hot.

When it's done: 165°F

The federal chart lists poultry at 165°F, and Kansas State University Extension says to fully cook game birds to at least 165°F. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.

If it goes wrong

Garlic bitter
It browned too far. Keep the heat at medium and add the liquid as soon as it turns pale gold.
Sauce clumpy
The cheese went into a pan that was too hot or too dry. Add more pasta water and toss off the heat.
Grouse tough
The strips were thick or overcooked. Slice thin and pull them as soon as they read 165°F.

Leftovers. Serve right away. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F with a splash of water.