Fried Dove with Sweet & Sour Sauce

Crispy and salty, these fried whole doves are like wild game KFC. Serve these as an appetizer or if you end up shooting a lot of birds, offer a whole plateful for a meal. Provided that a dove doesn't have new feathers coming in, it will be simple and quick to pluck. If we can help it, we try to prepare doves whole. That little bit of fat and skin makes all the difference in flavor. 

Serve these fried doves with the sweet and sour sauce recipe below, or with your favorite sauce. They are also perfectly fine plain. 

Servings: 2 
Prep Time: 30 minutes 
Cooking Time: 5 minutes 
Ingredients: 
- 4 whole doves 
- Kosher salt, to taste 
- 1 cup of milk 
- Vegetable oil for frying 
Batter:
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour 
- 1 ½ teaspoons of season salt 
- ¼ teaspoon of Hungarian paprika (or regular) 
- ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper 
- ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme 
- ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper 
- 1 tablespoon of milk 
Sweet and Sour Sauce 
- 6 tablespoons of white sugar 
- 2 tablespoons of white vinegar 
- 1/3 cup of water 
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons of ketchup 
- 1 tablespoon of corn starch 
- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground ginger 
- 1 teaspoon of Sambal Oelek Fresh Chili Paste, or to taste 

Directions:

1. Cut through the back of the doves with kitchen shears. Then lay the doves breast-side up and press down on the bird to break the wishbone. Sprinkle salt all over the doves, and then leave them on the counter for 30 minutes, covered. 

2. Meanwhile, combine sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Whisk continuously until mixture thickens and becomes translucent, 5-10 minutes. Set aside. 

3. In a shallow bowl, mix flour, season salt, paprika, black pepper, thyme and cayenne pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of milk to the batter. Mix with a fork to form lumps.  

4. Heat vegetable oil to 350-375° Fahrenheit. 

Pour 1 cup of milk in a shallow dish. Run doves through the milk to wet, and then dredge them in the flour mixture. If needed, gently press the flour onto the doves to make it stick-- shake off excess. Deep fry doves for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan; the oil temperature will drop too much-- fry in batches in needed. Drain fried doves on paper towels and serve with sweet and sour sauce on the side for dipping.