My first hunt, 10 seasons ago, was a dove hunt. On the invitation of my then-boyfriend, now-husband’s friends, we tagged along to hunt on an Indian reservation in Arizona somewhere on the Colorado River. It was September, and daytime temperatures hit 114 degrees that weekend—a heat so dry that it made our lungs feel like brown paper sacks.
For a first-time hunter, doves are a tough initiation. Although the dove symbolizes peace, don’t mistake that for frailty. These fast-flying birds can change direction on a dime, seemingly possessing a Matrix-like ability to dodge shot. And just when you think you’ve hit one, it keeps on sailing.
I’m still not sure if I actually hit the dove that Rick let me claim on that hunt. What I do know for sure is that I burned more shells than the number of birds I could share with my party for the grill that night. And I certainly didn’t take home any meat for a recipe—unfortunately, there wouldn’t be a dove recipe for a long while. Perhaps it was lack of opportunity—but more likely embarrassment—that prevented me from pursuing doves again for several years, at least not seriously.
Then finally, during the summer of 2019, I decided to pull my head out of the sand. I was going to become a better wingshooter. I connected with a local shooting instructor, and once a week during the summers of 2019 and 2020 I was out on the range familiarizing myself with my 20-gauge over/under.
I still suck, but I’m glad to suck a little less. And my time in the field has become so much more enjoyable and rewarding. All that practice culminated in an early-September dove hunt in the Nebraska Sandhills with new friends. I didn’t shoot my limit, but I came as close as I could, and I was happy with it. The difference was night and day compared to my first dove hunt a decade ago. And best of all, I now had enough doves in the freezer for several recipes, one of which I’m offering here.
As we enter another hunting season, the September dove opener is a reminder to aim small to miss small. For the meat hunter, it also means you get to eat more.
Dove and Shoestring Fries
Servings: 4 appetizers
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
– 16 whole plucked doves
– 1 cup of milk
– Sea salt, to taste
– 2/3 cup of cornmeal, plus extra
– 1 tablespoon of paprika, to taste
– Mild curry powder, to taste
– 5 large russet potatoes
– Frying oil (peanut, canola, corn, etc.)
– Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, to taste
1. Peel potatoes and slice thinly with a mandoline, about 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick. Then cut slices into matchsticks. Rinse potato sticks and then submerge in a bowl of ice water for one hour. Next, drain potatoes and spread them onto a large cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Dab the top side dry with paper towels. Potatoes must be dry before frying, which will prevent splattering and allow them to crisp.
2. Turn oven to warm setting. In a saucepan or fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, rinse doves in cold water and allow to sit in milk and set aside.
3. When the oil comes to temperature, cook potatoes in batches until golden and crispy. Drain and immediately toss with seasoned salt. Keep shoestring fries warm in the oven as you fry the remaining potatoes. Always allow oil to return to 350 degrees before adding a new batch of raw potato. Remove oil from heat while you prepare the doves for frying.
4. Combine cornmeal and paprika. Remove doves from milk and do not pat dry. Season doves with sea salt—including inside the cavity—and coat with cornmeal mixture; the milk helps the cornmeal adhere to the birds, so rewet birds if the cornmeal isn’t sticking.
5. Return oil to 350 degrees and fry doves in batches for four to five minutes, or until cornmeal coating becomes golden and crispy all over, flipping doves halfway through. Carefully remove doves from oil and immediately dust with curry powder while still hot and wet from the oil. Serve immediately with shoestring fries and desired condiments.
Salted Caramel Apple Cider
Ingredients:
– 2 ounces Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka, or to taste
– Apple cider
– 1 wedge of lemon or lime
– Kosher salt
– Ice
– Whipped cream
– Hershey’s caramel syrup
– Diced fresh apple, for garnish (optional)
Moisten the rim of a pint-size Mason jar with a lemon or lime wedge, and then salt the rim. Fill the jar three-quarters of the way with ice. Add caramel-flavored vodka and fill the rest of the way with apple cider. Add whipped cream on top and drizzle with caramel syrup. Garnish with pieces of apple on a toothpick (optional).
