This recipe is a celebration of the coming fall season—ravioli filled with September grouse, golden squash, sage, and brown butter will get you excited for the flavors of autumn. I also like this recipe because from just one bird, you can make an elegant dish that can easily feed four people with the addition of other courses.
Grouse ravioli filling. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley) Grouse, Butternut Squash, and Sage Ravioli Recipe
Serves: 3-4 Prep time: 10h Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 sharp-tailed grouse or prairie chicken 1 quart of chicken stock 1 small butternut squash 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1⁄2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano 1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus extra 1 package of wonton or gyoza/potsticker wrappers 1 (or 2) stick(s) salted butter Small bunch of sage leaves, stems removed Finishing salt Freshly cracked pepper Directions:
Quarter grouse, and place breasts and legs in a slow cooker. Submerge with chicken stock and cook on low overnight (or on high for faster cooking) until tender. Shred meat and remove all bones. Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Peel butternut squash and remove seeds. Cut squash into 11⁄2-inch cubes and spread out onto a cookie sheet lined with foil. Coat with oil and lightly season with salt. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until very tender and slightly caramelized. Allow to cool. To make the ravioli filling, place the following in a food processor: 1 cup (more or less) of shredded grouse meat, 1 cup roasted butternut squash, 1⁄2 cup ricotta cheese, 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano, 1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan, and 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Pulse until smooth—it should resemble a thick paste like pâté. Taste for seasoning. Transfer filling into a gallon-size zip-top bag. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay out as many wonton wrappers as you can fit in one layer; keep packaged wrappers covered with a tea towel to keep them from drying out. Snip one corner of the zip-top bag with the filling and pipe onto the middle of each wonton wrapper; use about 1 tablespoon, depending on wrapper size—do not overfill. Wet the edges of each wrapper with water and place a new wrapper on top to cover. Press the edges to completely seal the ravioli, gently forming the wrapper around the filling and squeezing out air bubbles. Keep ravioli covered with a towel to keep them from drying out. In a saucepan, slowly melt butter on low. Keep serving plates warm in an oven set to “warm.” In a wide sauté pan, heat 2 inches of salted water to gently simmering. Drop ravioli into the water one by one and gently cook until the wrapper edges turn translucent, and the middle starts looking wrinkled—about 1 to 2 minutes. Gently move ravioli to keep them from sticking to each other or the bottom of the pan. Do not allow the water to boil—this prevents the ravioli from breaking. Homemade pasta dough will take longer to cook. While ravioli are cooking, turn up the heat to medium low or medium on butter. When the milk solids start turning golden brown, add sage leaves, and cook until crispy. Remove sage and drain on paper towels. Move brown butter off the heat to avoid burning, which will impart a bitter taste. With a wide slotted skimmer, transfer cooked ravioli onto warm serving bowls or plates. Drizzle a generous amount of brown butter on top, sprinkle with sage leaves, and finish with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
