Jim is currently making my favorite meal. For years we cooked the grouse in a crockpot with bacon on top because they were suppose to be dry. A few years back Jim's backpacking partner Brian showed him how you can cut off the breast portion, saving the rest for stock, saute the grouse quickly in butter and garlic. Then you cook up rigatoni or like pasta with a little basil. It's wonderful!! When grouse is not available we have done it with Cornish game hens and it is "almost" as good. JoAnn
Wonder if quail would be as tasty? I've never tried it. We ended up butchering one of our young roosters last night at 10pm (and me with a migraine) after a possum attack. Yes, possum (opossum? whatever) - who knew they were such vicious predators? Not me. Anyway, I'm rambling, but the job was very messy/feathery & inefficient. Wasn't much meat on him, but by golly, we were determined to show the kids we could make use of him! Bring on the bacon...
The grouse was wonderful but I had the recipe a bit wrong. The breast is sauted in butter alone--no garlic. The garlic is in the pasta. I also forgot you sprinkle parmesian cheese on top of the pasta. I think quail you could do it with quail. The breast part would be rather tiny though. JoAnn