Dove season in Georgia started on September 4th and ends on the 19th. Your limit is 15 doves. How do I know that? I check Hunter Angler Gardener Cook and then go to a local website for the State of Georgia dates and limits. Obviously, the dates on the different states vary so if you are interested, check your area.
I have had the pleaure of eating doves when I was young. My father was a Hunter and Angler, sometime Gardener but never Cook. He worked for Remington Arms for many years and we always had tons of copies of the Remington Arms Wildlife Cookbook on hand to give out to friends and clients. Somehow, I lost my last copy in one of the many moves I've made in my lifetime.
I thought it would be fun to publish game recipes once in awhile on this blog as hunting and fishing are an integral part of living on a lake. HAGC has a few great recipes for grilling dove including my favorite of the lot, Grilled Doves La Mancha
Spanish smoked paprika is integral to this dish. Many good supermarkets offer it, you can even find it at Marshall's or Homegoods.
Figure on 2-3 doves per person for a light lunch or an appetizer, or 3-5 for a main course. This recipe is for 4 people.
Grilled Doves La Mancha
Printable Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
■12 doves
■Kosher salt
■3 tablespoons olive oil
■12 bay leaves
■12 sage leaves
■Spanish smoked paprika
■Freshly ground black pepper
■About 1/4 cup melted bacon fat
Directions
1.Rub the doves with olive oil and salt them well. Stuff each cavity with a sage and a bay leaf.
2.Grill over medium-high to high heat with the breast side up for 6-8 minutes. Do not let them char!
3.Turn them over and grill for 4-6 minutes. Paint them with the bacon fat.
4.Turn the doves on their sides and grill for 1-2 minutes — for each side. Paint with more bacon fat.
5.Remove to a platter and paint with the remaining bacon fat. Dust with the smoked paprika and the black pepper. Let them rest for 5 minutes.
6.Eat with your fingers and serve with a Rioja red wine, a California Pinot Noir or an Italian Barbaresco — and a bowl to put the bones in.
Photo Holly Heyser
My husband and two grown sons are hunters and we have a farm in S GA which is where they do most of their hunting. I was very happy to see you post this recipe and I will also check out the site you mentioned. As soon as my men bring home some dove, this will be the first recipe I try. Thanks for posting it. BTW, I have enjoyed your blog.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn/A Southerners Notebook
You are so lucky, I have no hunters here (except a Westie and a lab and I definitely wouldn't eat what they bring me!)
ReplyDelete