Dove + Quail

Bird hunting is a Texas tradition, and each fall hunters travel from near and far for dove and quail season. What’s Cookin’ at the Ranch celebrates both birds with two recipes made for sharing. Bacon-Wrapped Dove Breast is an easy appetizer for cocktail hour, pairing the rich flavor of dove with smoky bacon and jalapeño. Our Country-Fried Quail Legs use farm-raised quail from Bandera, Texas; each leg has the thigh attached, providing a couple of delicious bites in every piece.

Bacon-Wrapped Dove Breast

Ingredients

6 dove breast halves
2 slices uncooked bacon
2 fresh jalapeños (depending on their size), seeded and cut into 6 thin strips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Split and bone dove breast. Cut each strip of bacon into 3 pieces. Fold dove breast around jalapeño strip and wrap in piece of bacon. Secure with toothpick. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until bacon is done.

This can also be prepared on the grill. Follow same preparation instructions and cook over the fire.

Serves 6.

Fried Quail Legs

Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
2 large eggs
¾ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon table salt
1 dozen quail legs
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup Cajun seasoning

Instructions

Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the inside of a deep 12- or 14-inch cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Pour in the oil to a depth of 3 inches and bring the temperature of the oil to 350°F over medium-high heat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Put a wire baking rack on top of the paper towels.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt in a bowl. Add the quail legs to the egg wash, stirring to coat all of them. Combine the flour and Cajun seasoning on a shallow plate. One by one, dip the quail legs lightly in the flour mixture and shake each to eliminate any excess flour.

In batches, fry the quail legs in the hot oil until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Don’t crowd the pot or else the temperature of the oil will drop, and the quail legs won’t be crisp. Use tongs to transfer the quail legs to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining quail legs. Serve hot.