Upland Bird Season is Here
 | Author:
Eileen Clarke - Rifles and Recipes
Author: Rifles and Recipes |
Upland Bird Season is Here
Eileen Clarke
Rifles and Recipes
That rainstorm we had a couple of weeks ago seems to have encouraged most of the doves that had been hanging around to head south already, but there are still a few around, and this recipe also works for our other early birds, like ruffed grouse and Hungarian partridge. Ruffed and Huns are somewhat bigger, but this is one of those recipes that’s accommodating: just increase the volume of the rest of the ingredients when all you have is a larger bird.
On the wing, a mourning dove weighs about 4-5 ounces; quail are only slightly bigger at 6-7 ounces (for those who’ve been in the southwest hunting birds) so those could easily be made with this recipe. Even using more than one species in a pot. Hungarian partridge are 2-3 times as big at 12-14 ounces, while chukar partridge (25 ounces) and ruffed grouse (24-27 ounces) are about 5 times the size of doves, though still pretty small. Since they’d sit higher in the skillet, doubling to tripling the other ingredients would be close, but just eyeball it (and compare the depth of the braise with the photo). And remember: when in doubt, too much sauce is always better than not enough.
You’re on your own with the math if the only birds you have on hand are blue grouse (3 pounds) or pheasant (4 ½-5 pounds on the wing).
10 Minute Doves – Quick and Easy Dove Recipe
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
12-15 doves, plucked, cleaned and dried
½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 ½ tablespoons chopped salted peanuts
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup thinly sliced celery
2/3 cup thinly sliced carrots
½ cup diced onion
1 cup raw rice
To Cook
1. Start the rice, 20 minutes before the birds. (1 cup rice in 2 cups boiling water; bring back to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover for 20-25 minutes.) Rinse the doves and dry them well inside and out with paper towels. Wrap in dry paper towels snugly while you prepare the braising sauce.
2. In a small bowl, combine the broth, soy sauce, ginger, orange juice and peanuts. Stir and set aside. In a 10-inch skillet (a skillet large enough to not crowd the birds) melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion, and carrot. Reduce the heat to medium. Gently sauté the veggies until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan, bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. (The braising mixture should be about ¼ inch deep in the pan.) Dredge each dove in the sauce, getting it all over the birds, then nestle them breast-up in the pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Serve over rice.
Tips:
The only trick to braising is to dry the birds quite well with paper towels, inside and out, then snugly wrap with more paper toweling to keep them dry while you prepare the braising sauce.
Dry birds will absorb the concentrated flavor of the sauce, while excess liquid will dilute it (and give the sauce an unsavory grayish color.) When done, the birds should be 170°F on a meat thermometer. (Be careful the tip of the thermometer doesn’t touch bone.)
This recipe first appeared many years ago in Field & Stream when I was game cooking columnist there. Need more upland bird recipes? Check out Upland Game Bird Cookery, at our website https://www.riflesandrecipes.com Click on bookstore and you’ll see them all.
Eileen Clarke
https://www.riflesandrecipes.com
406-521-0273
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Eileen Clarke
Image 1 Caption: 10 Minute Doves Nestling into Pan
Photo Credits: Eileen Clarke
