In the South, dove hunting is a rite of passage. Opening day is more of a social event bringing together hunters and stories of the past. Every Labor Day there’s bound to be a grill somewhere in Georgia with a layer of dove on it. Here are some great recipes you’re sure to love after a fun day of shooting and camaraderie on the dove field!
Cornbread Casserole with Doves
Adapted from wideopenspaces.com
Photo credit: Grit Magazine
Ingredients:
8 Dove Breasts
½ Cup Chopped Celery
¼ Cup Sliced Green Onion
2 Tablespoons Snipper Parsley
¼ Cup Butter or Margarine
3 /Cups Cornbread Stuffing Mix
1 Cup Upland Game Bird Stock or Chicken Broth
½ Teaspoon Dried Marjoram Leaves
½ Teaspoon Salt
⅛ Teaspoon Pepper
Preheat oven to 350F and grease casserole dish. In butter over medium heat, sauté celery, onion, and parsley. Add remaining stuffing ingredients and mix until moist. Place half of stuffing mix in casserole dish and arrange your dove breasts over the top. Cover dove breasts completely with remaining stuffing mixture. Bake uncovered until dove is cooked through (approximately 1 hour). Add a side of green beans and a cold glass of sweet tea and you’re ready to chow down!
New Orleans Dove
Adapted from outdoorchannel.com
Photo credit: Raschell Rule, MissHomemade.com
Ingredients:
Dutch Oven
16 Dove Breast, Boned
1 ½ Cups Bulk Spicy Italian Sausage
Creole Seasoning
1 Cup Okra
4 Cups Fresh Tomatoes, Chopped
1 Onion, Chopped
2 Celery Stalks, Chopped
½ Cup Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
Chicken Broth
2 Cups Raw Rice
2 Cups Raw Shrimp
Salt and Pepper To Taste
In a heavy skillet, sprinkle sausage with creole seasoning. Fry until cooked. Remove and drain sausage. Place in Dutch oven. In skillet, sprinkle dove breasts with creole seasoning. Brown all sides in grease. Place browned breasts in Dutch oven.
In skillet, fry onion, celery, and bell pepper in sausage grease until tender. Drain and place in Dutch oven. Add tomatoes to Dutch oven then add enough chicken broth to cover everything. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 1 hour or until the dove is cooked through. Season to taste. Add rice and shrimp and simmer until rice is cooked. This recipe is a gumbo lovers dream!
Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Dove
Adapted from outdoorchannel.com
Photo credit: Holly Heyser, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Ingredients:
Dove Breasts
Bacon Slices for Each Breast
Marinade Ingredients or Italian Dressing
¼ Cup Lemon Juice
½ Teaspoon Unsalted Butter
½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ Teaspoon Onion Powder
½ Ground Black Pepper
After preparing marinade, marinate doves for at least 1 hour. Wrap each breast with bacon and grill until done. Serve immediately with friends and a cold beverage!
Helen’s Dove and Dumplings
Adapted from wideopenspaces.com
Photo credit: Mobile Bay Magazine
Ingredients
8 Cups Chicken Broth
5 Stalks Celery, Chopped With Leaves
3 Small Onions, Chopped
3 Tablespoons Garlic, Minced
1 Cup Mushrooms, Sliced*
Salt and Pepper (To Taste)
25 Doves
1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
¾ Cups Water
Boil celery, onions, garlic, mushrooms, salt and pepper in chicken broth. Add the doves and let simmer about 20-30 minutes or until tender. Remove doves and let cool. Return broth to boil. Lightly flour work surface, any cutting board or clean surface will do. Mix your flour and water to create a nice ball of dough. Make sure dough is not too sticky. If it is, gradually add a little more flour until it’s the desired texture. Roll dough into thin rectangle and cut in strips. Pull each strip up, stretching it to make thinner. Drop those puppies into the boiling broth one at a time and cook for 20 minutes. Shred the dove meat while dumplings are cooking. Once dumplings are finished, add shredded meat to broth and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve this in the cooler months for a warm and comfort food style dinner.
Smothered Doves
Adapted from Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Cookbook
Photo credit: Holly Heyser, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Ingredients
1 Stick Butter
25 Dove Breasts
1 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Cup Chopped Celery
1 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper
Salt
Pepper
Melt the butter in skillet. Salt and pepper dove breasts then place in butter with breast up. Layer onions, celery, and bell peppers over meat. Cover and cook for 3 hours then serve over rice. This meal is easy and hearty. Perfect for the meat and potatoes kind of chef.