pfeiffer@NMSU.Edu (04/04/91)
Sometimes, I get the feeling we already need a subgroup: rec.hunting.cooking :) Anyway, I went dove hunting for the first time last fall, and had two surprises. The first was, of course, that dove do not fly like clay pigeons; this problem I've solved :) The second surprise was one I haven't successfully dealt with yet: the taste of dove. I had heard the terms ``wild flavor'' and ``strong'' before, but wasn't aware that they were euphemisms for ``tastes like *&$#@!!! chicken liver.'' Now I realize that there are people out there who like the taste of chicken liver; so far as I'm concerned, there is just no accounting for taste. To my mind, chicken liver is just one small step up from inedible. Depending on how hungry you are. The actual story was a bit longer than that; I cooked some dove up in a brown sauce, and my wife and I found it awful. I had promised some to my six year old son, but he was in bed by then. The next night, he remembered my promise; I told him he WOULDN'T like it, but I'd keep my promise. He still wanted it (I suspect I could get him to eat his vegetables if I could only convince him that you shot green beans). So I gave him a bite. He wanted the other half of the dove. Then he wanted another. So I took a bite -- the taste was completely different! Day old leftover dove was edible! So I've got two questions, which nobody around here has answered satisfactorily. First, what happens to the taste over night? Second, is there a good way of preparing it so it will taste good the first night? I've tried one suggestion I've received, which was to leave it in salt water for a few hours before cooking. No difference. I have yet to try a second suggestion, which is to marinate it over night in Italian salad dressing before cooking... -Joe.
brian%reed.uucp@RELAY.CS.NET (Brian Vandewettering) (04/06/91)
I soak it over night in salt water and prepare it like a game hen. Herbs salt, butter in aluminum foil in the oven. It is extreemly dark meat however. -- All opinions are mine, mine, mine. ============================================================================= Brian Vandewettering - NRA,OSSA Motorola Inc., Computer Systems Division brian@pdx.csd.mot.com . . . tektronix!nosun!cvedc!mcspdx!brian
case@leland.stanford.edu (Helen Ginzburg) (04/07/91)
You said the dov tasted a lot better after it aged one day in the fridge. I know next to zilch about cooking, but I know that the best Peking Duck must be hung for a while in the air before being served. In fact, most chinese restaurants won't serve you Peking Duck unless you order it far ahead--they need time to hang it up. Peking dove, anyone? On the marinating in Italian dressing: I've only tried it on salmon and chicken, but it worked really well on those animals. Give it a try. Who knows... maybe that will even fix a gopher! -Case KimInCambridge