Flattened Dove

Grilled whole doves are delicious, but sometimes it's not worth firing up the grill when you don't shoot your limit, especially if you've got a charcoal grill. Instead, broil your doves in the oven. With a few simple ingredients, you'll have perfectly roasted doves on the dinner table in less than 15 minutes. 

Oftentimes, we have trouble getting birds to turn golden brown in the oven. Here's a tip. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika on the skin, and it will help the skin brown and also add a bit of smokiness to your birds. We don't have much else to say about this recipe other than that it's easy and straightforward. We prefer to eat doves whole and not breasted out, which is 100x more tasty. Plucking a dove is so easy, there's no reason not to do it. Though small, the legs are tasty and surprisingly satisfying to chew on. What do doves taste like? They taste somewhere between a white and dark meat bird. They are so good... 

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 7-10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 whole doves
- kosher salt, to taste
- few pinches of Herbes de Provence (or your choice of seasoning)
- few pinches of paprika (Hungarian paprika, preferred)
- olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of melted butter

1. To flatten a dove, cut along the back of the dove with kitchen shears. With the now open cavity facing you, gently bend the sternum toward you until you feel a soft crack, which will flatten the bird. 

Turn broiler on to "low." Place a roasting rack with a roasting pan in the broiler to allow it to heat up for a few minutes. 

2. Rub doves with olive oil. Then generously sprinkle salt all over doves on both sides. Rub Herbes de Provence between your fingers then rub it over doves. Place doves breast-side down in the broiler and cook on "low" for 5-6 minutes. 

Then take roasting rack with doves out of the broiler and increase heat to "high." Turn doves over so that the breasts are facing up. Paint breasts with melted butter then evenly sprinkle with paprika. Place doves back into the broiler and cook on "high" for 2-3 minutes, or until breasts are golden brown. Do not overcook; meat should be slightly pink inside. 

Serve doves by themselves, with a salad, rice or pilaf.