How to Cook Dove

As the do-it-yourself lifestyle spreads like wildfire across the country, more and more individuals are interested in hunting and cooking their own dinners. Dove is one of the most enjoyable birds to hunt and can be prepared in many ways. After eating one or two of your own birds for dinner, you will want to share them with your friends. Read on to learn how to cook dove.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife
• Tweezers
• Peeled grapes
• 1 tbsp. of butter
• Roasting pan
• Salt pork
• Cooking twine
• Grape leaves
• Skewers
• Coals
• Flour
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

Prepare the Dove

1. Cut off the dove's head and wings with a sharp knife.

2. Pluck the feathers, be sure to pull every one. Remove even the tiny pin feathers, using a tweezers if necessary.

3. Clean the bird. Make a careful incision under its breastbone. Reach inside the dove and gently pull out its entrails, throw away the lungs and kidneys and save the giblets if you enjoy eating them.

Cook the Whole Dove

1. Place a few peeled grapes inside the dove's body cavity. Melt 1 tbsp. of butter in the roasting pan, add the prepared game bird and cook at 350 degrees for five to 15 minutes.

2. Bard the game birds, place them on a broiler and cook 12 to 20 minutes, turning often. Remove the barding toward the end of the cooking time to allow the birds to brown.

3. Wrap the game birds in buttered grape leaves and bard with very thin slices of salt pork. Skewer the doves and roast over coals for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cook the Breast

1. Bread the breast with flour, salt and pepper and fry it on the stove until the flesh shows no traces of pink.

2. Place the dove on a warm plate while you make gravy from the drippings.

3. Let the drippings simmer for 10 minutes, then pour over the dove to serve.

Tips & Warnings

• Whether you cook only the breasts or the entire bird, you will need to prepare more than one per guest.

• Bard the birds by covering their skin with thin slices of salt pork or fat bacon and tying them with heavy string.

• Be careful to whom you serve dove, not everyone will enjoy the "gamey" taste.

• If the dove was shot with a shotgun, be sure to remove all the lead shot from the meat before serving.

• Dove should be cooked and served as soon as possible, since the meat does not age well.