Photo by Holly A. Heyser
This is a simple, satisfying way to get into some doves. Doves are so easy to pluck that you should really be ashamed of yourself if you don’t — I can pluck one in less than a minute when I get my groove on. Besides, gnawing on the little legs is primal and slightly naughty; they are very little birds, after all.
Spanish smoked paprika is integral to this dish. Many good supermarkets offer it, but you can also buy it online from Earthy Delights.
Figure on 2-3 doves per person for a light lunch or an appetizer, or 3-5 for a main course. I can eat more than this, but then again I am something of a glutton. I will give you a recipe for 4 people.
- 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
- Rub the doves with olive oil and salt them well. Stuff each cavity with a sage and a bay leaf.
- Grill over medium-high to high heat with the breast side up for 6-8 minutes. Do not let them char!
- Turn them over and grill for 4-6 minutes. Paint them with the bacon fat.
- Turn the doves on their sides and grill for 1-2 minutes — for each side. Paint with more bacon fat.
- 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.
- 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.
Do you know where I can buy some dove meat online?
You can’t. Doves are solely a game animal. You must hunt them. The closest domestic alternative (and it is pretty close) is squab, which is a young pigeon. You can get excellent squab either at the CA Squab Producers website ar at D’Artagnan, a specialty meat purveyor.
[...] recipe for simple, tasty grilled doves. But first, you need to get yourself a mess of 12 doves! See http://www.honest-food.net/blog1/wild-game-recipes/dove-pigeon-recipes/grilled-doves-a-la-mancha/ Photo by Holly A. [...]
[...] great Provencal Fish Bisque with saffron, a herbed wild boar sausage, Hank’s version of Doves a La Mancha done with local quail (see below), and a blueberry sorbet based off his mulberry [...]
[...] with me and to ask the best way to cook a dove. Then I followed her partner/superstar game chef Hank Shaw’s recipe as close as could, but stuffed the dove with rosemary, the only bright fresh spice I had. I served [...]
[...] great Provencal Fish Bisque with saffron, a herbed wild boar sausage, Hank’s version of Doves a La Mancha done with local quail (see below), and a blueberry sorbet based off his mulberry sorbet. Photo by [...]
im going to attempt this with skinned breasts, wish i would have plucked them instead ill let you know how they turn out
Unbeleiveable.. Killed 6 doves yesterday and decided to try this recipe.
I’ve roasted doves in the oven but grilling really works well. The spanish
smoked pimenton pairs well with the flavor of the dove. The only thing I did
differently was to bruise the bayleaf and sage (both fresh) and
to wrap some very thin bacon around the doves because
I have a very hard mouthed dog. Started with melon and
figs fresh from the garden with prosciutto and home
grown tomatoes. Served the dove with roasted beets and balsamico.
Nothing so satisfying than to serve a meal where
everything grown or wild. (ok I bought the wine and bread and pimenton ..)
reasts were pink, legs crunchy Not sure I’ll cool the any other way.
Thanks!
Rick
[...] next morning I started to prepare the Dove for grilling “La Mancha” style. I rubbed the dove with olive oil and salted it well. Then the cavity was stuffed with a sage and a [...]