Dove poppers: Jack Hennessy’s “Braising the Wild”

PERFECTING THE DOVE POPPER Dove poppers are a dove opener tradition for many hunters. It’s practically against the regulations to NOT make them. And chances are you have your tried-and-true recipe, but below are some tips and methods to make these treats even more perfect. SOME TIPS FOR PERFECTING YOUR POPPERS Brine your dove breasts. A simple brine of 3 quarts cold water, 1/3 cup each of non-iodized salt, sugar, whole black peppercorns; plus 6 ounces fresh ginger and 1 bulb fresh garlic, all smashed—this makes a difference. Soak for a couple hours, then thoroughly rinse. Your dove meat will taste a tad juicier. Pre-cook your bacon. Wrapping your poppers in raw bacon then cooking whole means you’ll likely overcook that dove meat before the bacon is finished. Because dove, like other migratory birds, is best medium or medium-rare, cooking your bacon an inch from done means it won’t require as long to cook when wrapped. Change up the cheese. If you’re a devote cream-cheese fan, it’s not my place to persuade you otherwise; but if you feel cream cheese could potentially distract from flavor of dove, perhaps consider another soft cheese such as Muenster (what I used in this recipe). Add a little sweet. Between the cheese and the dove, I like to add a little organic honey. Firebeehoney.com now makes vanilla honey so I’m looking forward to trying that, but some people also like orange marmalade (though I think that tastes too much like candy). A couple boogers’ worth (yes, I said it—it’s now an official measurement), no more than 1/2 teaspoon, is a nice addition. Ingredients (make two to four servings): Six doves (12 skinless breasts) Six medium jalapeños (12 halves), seeded 6-8 ounces Muenster cheese, sliced 12 slices regular-cut bacon 6 teaspoons organic honey or orange marmalade To prepare: Brine dove breasts whole according to recipe above for 2-3 hours then thoroughly rinse and cut out individual breasts. Cut jalapeños in half and remove seeds and pulp. If you like your jalapeños softer, you may want to cook these halves in 400-degree oven for 5 minutes, then let cool before assembling. Add a thin slice of cheese to each jalapeño half, followed by optional couple dabs honey or orange marmalade. In a large skillet heated on medium-high, cook bacon until almost done. (Not almost crisp, but almost cooked.) Bacon should still be very bendable. Remove bacon and set aside but leave grease in skillet. Place one dove breast in each jalapeño half and wrap with bacon. Secure with toothpick(s). I typically use two toothpicks per half to make sure bacon is secure and will rotate easily in skillet. Make sure bacon grease is 400 degrees in skillet then had your poppers. Fry open side until bacon is crisp then rotate, frying until jalapeño underside is slightly charred. These poppers will be slightly crispier, so if you do like your peppers softer, you may wish to pre-bake them as mentioned earlier.