Wild Game Recipes: Wild Doves in Wine
What pairs great with that dove harvest you just brought home? How about some wine?
You don't have to be a wine drinker to enjoy this wild dove in wine recipe from the Missouri Department of Conservation. While you may not think of the conservation group as a bunch of foodies, they do know how to cook up an excellent dove dish you're sure to love.
How to Hunt Doves
Before you can make this tasty dish, you need some wild doves! Plan a dove hunt this season to make sure you have enough bird meat for the recipe.
Dove hunting is about as simple as you can get compared to hunting other wild game. With very little preparation and gear, you can grab a hunting license, check the open season dates, and head out for a day in the field.
A dove hunt is also an excellent adventure for getting your kids into hunting or hunting with well-trained dogs.
The hardest part of your hunt might be finding the right location that's sure to have plenty of doves for you to harvest. However, after finding a good spot, your job is to get there, sit quietly and wait, then rustle up some birds and take your shots. It's a fun and rewarding way to hunt while enjoying some time in nature with young ones or hunting buddies.
Wild Game Recipes: Wild Doves in Wine
After your hunt, we're sure you have a bunch of doves that need to be eaten! Grab a bottle of wine (for the recipe) and enjoy your wild doves cooked in wine.
Prep. Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1-1/2 hours.
Ingredients
- 8 doves (picked and cleaned)
- 1/2 c. sherry or dry red wine
- 3 Tbsp. of olive oil or bacon drippings, plus 1/2c. olive oil (reserved)
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Warm bacon drippings or three tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy iron skillet. Add the doves and brown them on all sides, turning them to ensure even heat.
Next, add the sherry or wine, Worcestershire sauce, reserved olive oil, and salt. Cover with a tight lid. Simmer on low for 1½ hours or until meat is tender. The liquid should not boil.
Serve with wild or brown rice.
Put Safety First When Hunting Doves
While dove hunting might be one of the simpler hunts you'll have in your hunting lifetime, it's still crucial to prioritize safety in the field. From the firearm you choose and how you handle it to making sure your zone of fire is clear of anything (or anyone) that isn't your targeted dove, hunters must keep safety top of mind.
Hunter-Ed wants to help you return home safely to enjoy this dove dish (and others) every season! Our online hunter education courses provide a wide range of safety information about firearms, shooting, survival, blaze orange, and more.
Make sure you and everyone you hunt with have the safety education they need to enjoy more seasons in the field. Find the course for your state and start learning with our free online study guides.
Originally published September 8, 2015. Content updated May 31. 2024.
