Fried doves? Yes, please!
While it’s true I grill most of my doves, frying them is every bit as good and is a nice change of pace.
I initially came up with the idea for this dish after reading a 1940s recipe for deep-fried doves in Roy Wall’s Fish And Game Cookery. His recipe is old school, with the doves fried in shortening and served with a Southern milk gravy. Good, but not my style.
I prefer this Cajun style, and as finger food, with no gravy. All that means is you dredge the little birds in corn flour — basically Louisiana fish fry mix — with some Cajun or Creole seasoning, and fry in peanut oil. Damn good.
Another alternative is to go Middle Eastern, Turkish, really. I like frying things in chickpea flour, which is available in good supermarkets, Italian and Indian stores. You could substitute in some other earthy-tasting flour: The easiest alternative would be whole wheat. I’ll lace the flour with a typical mixture of Middle Eastern spices: garlic, chile, cumin, sumac and fenugreek.
You could do any kind of spice mix you want. Just don’t go with a thick batter, which gets in the way of enjoying the doves.
Fried Whole Doves
Ingredients
- 8 to 12 doves, plucked and gutted
- Salt
CAJUN OPTION
- 1 1/2 cups of fine cornmeal ("fish fry" mix)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- Remoulade, for Cajun doves
MIDDLE EASTERN OPTION
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat or chickpea flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon sumac (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon cayenne, or to your taste
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek (optional)
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Wash the doves and set aside at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Pour the oil — I use canola or peanut or cheap olive oil — into a deep-fryer or heavy, high-sided pot like a Dutch oven. A fryer will have a fill line. Pour no more than 2/3 of a pot’s depth, and half is better. Don’t worry, you can reuse the oil. Heat the oil slowly, over medium heat, to 350°F. If you are using olive oil, keep it at 340°F.
- Meanwhile, mix the flour or cornmeal and all the spices together in a bowl and coat the doves. Make sure you get it into the cavity, too.
- When the oil is hot, drop in a couple doves at a time and let them fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning them to be sure they are golden brown all over. Let drain on a wire rack in an oven set to ‘warm.’ Serve with a bowl for the bones and give your guests plenty of napkins.
I only had 3 doves but cooking them this way was the best presentation to make the most of what we got. I went with the Cajun spices option and didn’t have fish fry mix so I used some fine ground corn flour and corn starch to approximate a gluten-free version. It was fantastic – crunchy, crisp skin on juicy, succulent meat with the subtle tingle of spices; this recipe is how everyone should eat their first doves.
Have you ever tried these in an air fryer? Thanks to opening day yesterday, I have a refrigerator full of dove!
Christina: I have not, actually. If you use it, can you do me a huge favor and let me know how it went? I am betting others might want to use one.
My husband bagged a good lot of dove this weekend. I’ll be trying this recipe tonight.
Thank you!
Looks awesome. Probably going to do his with the 6 whole birds I have plucked in the freezer. As far as milk gravy goes, I wholeheartedly agree with you Hank. When I moved to Memphis from Canada 16 years ago, I was taken aback by the white gravy everyone served down here. 16 years later, I still haven’t acquired a taste for it.
Oh, those look delicious and perfect for a few people… or just one 😀
But I would definitely want to try them with gravy – just a tad bit, a small bowl to dip in. Did you tried the Southern milk gravy? I would love to hear some feedback on it.
Emily: Lots of people like it, but I am not one of them. I really don’t like milk gravy. But go for it. I admit I am in the minority on this one.
Hank,
I am traveling to Manitoba in a few weeks for ducks. What are your thoughts about teal in this fashion? They are generally lean with very little fat this time of year up there.
Brandon: I bet it would work. You will need to fry them a little longer.
Starlings, you mention as a candidate for deep frying. Have you actually eaten starlings, Hank?
Back when I had a vineyard and was shooting those pests I gave them a try, and vowed never again. Maybe it depends on what they are eating, but if it is syrah grapes, no way.
My friend Rod had a German wirehair who would eat any bird offered to her (she was good about delivering the ones he shot) and would wolf down any small one. One day he knocked down a starling, offered it to Meg, she took it in her mouth and spit it out. My view. Anyone reading this ever eat starlings? I’d like to know.