Foraged “Garlic Mustard” Pesto Fettuccini with Wild Turkey Tenderloins
By Hunt To Eat
Here is a meal that punches way out of its weight class. Elegant and incredibly delicious while being so simple to make.
FORAGING DISCLAIMER: Never eat a wild plant you are not 100% sure you have identified correctly. It is your responsibility to keep yourself and loved ones safe. Do your research, and cross reference sources.
What is Garlic Mustard?
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a European herb that was brought over for its food and medicinal purposes, but has become a serious invasive species. Outcompeting natural ground cover and disrupting the natural ecosystem. When it comes to garlic mustard, harvest the whole plant and take all you need and more to help reduce the spread!
Garlic Mustard DISCLAIMER: Garlic Mustard like some other edible plants, for example Broccoli, are known to have trace amounts of cyanide. Garlic mustard has been consumed for years and is considered not harmful for human consumption, but some recommend limiting your consumption to a couple portions per week. It is our recommendation that you do your own research on the subject and do what you believe is right for you.
Having said all that, we love the way it tastes and will always grab some while out in the turkey woods.
Garlic Mustard Pesto:
The Garlic Mustard is best in spring, the older it gets the more bitterness it can have. After harvesting remove the stems, flowers, and seeds(discard, do not compost), and wash thoroughly.
For those not familiar with pesto, it is a simple fresh pasta sauce made by combining basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.
This recipe replaces the basil with garlic mustard, and honestly has no right being as good as it is! With this being GARLIC mustard we’d also point out that adding garlic is optional.
We like to make the sauce ahead of time so our focus can stay on the other elements of cooking when making this dish.
Garlic Mustard Pesto Sauce
-2 cups garlic mustard
-¼ cup pine nuts(or other mild nuts like walnuts)
-1/2 cup ev olive oil
-1 -Tbs lemon juice (about a half a lemon) and some zest
-¼ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
-2 cloves garlic(optional as this will already have some good garlic flavor from the greens)
-Salt and pepper to taste
Start with the dry ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add the pine nuts and grated parmesan and run until an even grind is achieved.
Add in the olive oil, lemon juice, and grate some lemon zest, then blend to mix evenly.
Finally, add in the garlic mustard a couple handfuls at a time pulsing in shorter bursts to prevent over mixing the greens which can increase the bitterness of the leaves.
From here adjust for consistency and taste. You want to be able to taste the freshness of the greens, complimented by the nutty, salty, and umami flavors of the pine nuts and parmesan, all balanced with the brightness of the lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste and adjust flavors according to your preferences. Thick enough to be scooped and held with a spoon, but not too thick that it is crumbling. For pesto that is too thick add more olive oil; too thin add more greens, pine nuts, or parmesan. But don't stress too much about consistency as a lot of that will even out when added to pasta noodles.
Pasta and Turkey Tenderloins:
The tenderloins are located underneath the breasts, along the ribs. We like to use the tenderloins for simple dishes like this where a nice tender bite is needed, but really any meat of the bird could be used for this recipe.
Before trimming our turkey tenderloins, get a pot of water boiling for the pasta, and don't forget a generous splash of salt in that water to flavor the noodles. Start heating the pan for cooking the turkey. We love to cook meats in stainless or cast iron to get that true mailliard browning. When cooking in stainless we preheat the pan and check its temperature using the water test. This will help unlock the stainless steel’s natural nonstick properties.
There is a thick tendon that runs through the middle of a turkey tenderloin, just follow it with your knife separating it from the meat. Removing this tendon will split the meat into four smaller pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
Add pasta to water before cooking your turkey. We suggest Fettuccine, but any Noodle will do great. Cook to Al Dente, do not over cook as we will finish these noodles in the pan that we cooked the turkey in.
While the pasta is boiling add cooking oil/fat of your choosing(we like avocado oil with meat for its high smoke point) to the pre-heated pan. Let the oil warm to the temp of the pan and add your turkey. Cook with medium to medium high heat until it releases from the pan easily and flip, at this point it should have a nice browning. Repeat this for the other side and once it reaches an internal temp of 165℉ remove from the pan and rest before slicing.
When the pasta is cooked add a few spoonfuls of the pesto sauce to the pan we cooked the turkey in with the burner turned low. Add noodles straight from the water to the pan with the pesto along with a splash of the pasta water(the starch in the water left over from cooking the noodles will help give the sauce a velvety smooth texture). Mix until the noodles are coated and the pesto sauce has attained nice creamyness.
Plate the noodles, top with sliced turkey and grate or shave some more parmesan on top, and serve.
Don't be afraid to sprinkle some extra salt and pepper or an extra squeeze of lemon juice to finish.
Enjoy!