Boneless Dove Wing Recipe

Serves: 3-5 people   
Prep Time: 30 minutes (add a few hours if dove breasts have not already been washed of myoglobin)  
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Dove season is probably one of my favorite times of the year. The weather has finally started to cool down (hopefully), and it’s time to get the shotguns out! If you love eating doves as much as I do, AND you love boneless wings, this recipe is for you! If you're looking for more dove recipes, these dove-stuffed mushrooms are a great way to switch things up and impress your friends! And, of course, you can’t leave out everyone’s favorite, dove poppers!

Any of these dove recipes are great for your seasoned hunter or someone new to eating wild game. Boneless wings seem to be one of America’s favorite foods, and what makes them great is that there are so many different ways you can go with the sauce or dry rub. If you happen to have multiple of each, anyone eating can dictate what goes on his or her dove wings!

This recipe is one of the first things I experimented with back in the early 2010s when I first started getting out of my comfort zone and began my journey of wild game cooking just a year or so later. Back then, everyone, including me, was wrapping doves in bacon, and it was starting to get old fast. Bacon was and is expensive. Its flavor is very overwhelming and drowns out the wonderful taste of dove. I would consider dove meat to be one of the best wild game meats out there, especially among migratory birds.

This recipe is short on ingredients and can be a very simple dish or you can really go wild with the sauces and make it more elevated. The key to this recipe, unlike most others, is not to let the meat warm up before cooking. Where normally, you would want to take your meat out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for a while to warm up before adding it to the dredge; you want to take these small dove breasts right from the refrigerator and then put them straight into the dredge chilled. Hopefully, this keeps the dove from overcooking before the breading becomes GBD--Golden Brown Delicious! If you happen to overcook them, no worries, as most dove meat is very tender. Just remember to chew softly or at least cautiously, as there may be shot pellets in the meat.

As mentioned below, you can substitute just about any other wild game out there for the dove. Obviously, your sauce of choice may change whether you use pheasant or deer, but either way, fried meat chunks covered in sauce are a great way to go! If you go with turkey, pheasant, quail, or any other non-migratory bird, be sure you cook the meat to the proper temp. I would still err on the side of not overcooking, and it helps to remember the meat will continue to rise in temperature as you pull it out of the oil.  

I hope you enjoy this very familiar, and approachable dove breast recipe. If you try these, be sure to tag MidwayUSA and Wild Game Cook on social media. Happy Hunting!

Ingredients

• 12-15 dove breasts
  SUB: any turkey, pheasant, quail, chukar, grouse, rabbit, squirrel, even deer, elk, etc.
• Flour
• Cornstarch
• Salt/pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Cooking oil (olive oil)
• “Wing” flavor of choice (we did 2 tbsp. of teriyaki with 1/3 cup Unagi, a.k.a. Eel sauce/ “sushi sauce”)
• Sesame seeds (optional)
• Green onions or chives (optional)
• Seasoning of choice

Marinade:

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. garlic (minced)
• 2 pinches of kosher salt
• 1 pinch cracked pepper
  
  SUB: 1 tbsp. seasoning/rub of choice instead of salt/pepper

Dry Dredge:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• ½ tbsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tbsp. black pepper
  
  SUB: 1 tbsp. poultry seasoning, steak seasoning, or a combo of garlic powder/onion powder/paprika

Wet Dredge:

Whisk 1 egg and 1 cup of milk together until smooth

Prep

Dove breasts should be filleted from the breastbone (try to retain the tenderloin portion as well). If freshly harvested, and you haven't already extracted the myoglobin, place them in a bowl of water. Replace the water as needed until most of the myoglobin is extracted (this may take a few hours). Remove the dove from the water and place it in a paper towel to remove all excess moisture from the breasts. If the dove breasts have been washed, prepare the marinade listed above, then place the dove breasts in the bowl with the marinade and stir it well to incorporate. Then place it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Prepare a breading station with DRY (dredge) and WET (milk) stations. Remove the dove from the fridge, place the breast pieces into the DRY dredge, and coat thoroughly. Remove all the breasts from the DRY station, one by one, place them into the WET station, and then return them to the DRY station. Coat thoroughly and allow 5-10 minutes before frying. Allowing this time will help the breading stick and increase crispiness.

Cook (Deep fryer or pan frying)

Preheat the olive oil to 375° (medium-high). Place 6-8 breasts in the oil and cook until they become golden brown in color, 2-3 minutes.

Remove the dove breasts from the oil and place them on a drying rack, or immediately place them into the sauce of your choice.

Sauce

Using a very large bowl, pour your desired wing sauce (or, if you don't have one in mind, look into Frank’s RedHot® line of wing sauces and try one with butter!) around the sides of the bowl. Immediately add your dove breasts and toss until coated. Olive oil, garlic, parmesan, and fresh rosemary are great options, too!

• Top with green onions or chives (optional)
• Preferred condiments for dipping: Ranch or Bleu Cheese

Enjoy!

--Wild Game Cook