What To Do With Doves in The Kitchen

Although autumn doesn’t begin for another three weeks, Sept. 1 marks the unofficial start of fall, especially for those of us lucky enough to have a dove season. (Welcome, Iowegians!) Like many of you, I’ll be out there tomorrow doing my part to stimulate the economy, shooting box after box of shells in the vain hope of reaching my 15-bird limit. A recent round of sporting clays has me feeling pretty good about my shooting–a confidence that will most likely be shattered with the first shot at a shucking and jiving dove.

Still, I hope to have at least a few birds in the bag by sunset tomorrow, and I’m looking for a few good ideas on how to prepare them. Many years, the doves don’t even make it out of the field as my friends and I clean and cook them right on the tailgate in an after-shooting-hours celebration. We generally prepare them one of two ways: filleted off the breast bone, lightly pounded, breaded and fried, or that tired (yet tasty) standard–paired with a jalapeño and wrapped in bacon, cooked over an open flame.

But, I’d like to try something different this year and I’m hoping all you wild chefs out there can give me some inspiration. So how about it? What’s the best way to cook doves?
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Editor’s Note:** Be sure to freeze some of your dove meat, because we have a killer recipe coming in the December issue. Until then, here’s another great dove recipe. That is, if you can stand a little heat.