Turn Wild Birds into Gourmet Fare (2 of 2)

Here’s another great recipe for doves.

Dove and Sausage Gumbo

15 dove breasts

1 (10.5 oz) can consomme

1 beef-flavored bouillon cube

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use olive oil)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 and 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. dried whole basil

1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

3/4 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4″ slices

1/4 cup dry red wine

1/8 tsp. hot sauce

Hot cooked rice

Place dove breasts in Dutch oven and cover with water; boil  about 10 minutes. Cool and remove meat from bones.  Reserve cooking liquid in Dutch oven, adding water if necessary to make 2 and 1/4 cups liquid. Set meat aside.

Add consomme and bouillon cube to Dutch oven. Cook until bouillon cube is dissolved.

Brown dove in hot oil in a large skillet; drain well.  Pour off all but 1/4 cup oil. Add flour to reserved oil, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until roux is the color of a  copper penny (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Gradually add about 1 and 1/2 cups of consomme mixture to roux; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in onion and celery and cook about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add roux mixture to remaining consomme mixture and stir well. Stir in next 9 ingredients (Worcestershire to cloves).

Brown sausage and drain well. Stir sausage and dove into roux mixture, simmer  1 and 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add wine & hot sauce, stir well.

Remove bay leaves, adjust seasonings and serve gumbo over rice. Yield: about 1 and 3/4 quarts (about 1/2 gallon). Freezes well, gumbo is better tasting the second day than the first!

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Sherry Duck

(This is very flexible – yet the results are wonderful.  As you can see, this is a very casual recipe!   Folks with OCD {Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder} will have a hard time deciding how much of each ingredient to use!)

butter OR Crisco

pepper & seasoned salt

2 or 3 strips of bacon (don’t use turkey bacon – it lacks the fat necessary to moisturize the meat)

Chopped: apple, onion  & celery

Mix chopped items, sprinkle with a bit of seasoned salt and add to the cavity of the duck(s).  Spread butter or crisco, salt and pepper on the top of duck(s); place in covered roaster.

Pour water until there’s about 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of the roaster (around the ducks) and put 2 – 3 strips of bacon across the ducks. Cook covered at 400 degrees for 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours — check on water occasionally (don’t let the pan/roaster dry out).

Let ducks sit for ~ 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with this sauce poured over slices.

Sherry Duck Sauce

1 stick butter

3 Tbls. currant jelly

3 caps of Sherry wine

1 Tbls. spicy mustard

Mix together, heat and serve over ducks, as desired.

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