On cooking mourning dove [white wing & Eurasians as well], it depends on how they were cleaned, at least that's my starting criteria.
If you have birds that were simply 'breasted' I like one of two methods:
1) Make incision next to breast bone on both sides & insert thin onion slice in each incision. Next place one half of a large jalapeno [cut length wise] that has been seeded and the pith removed over the breast skin side out. Lastly wrap a piece of bacon around and over pepper and breast and secure with tooth pick(s). Roast breasts over coals until bacon is just beginning to crisp or tooth pick is charred.
2) Filet breast meat away from bones using sharp paring knife w/thin flexible blade. Then using wooden skewer sticks that have been pre-soaked in water alternate dove breast fillets w/ pieces of red and green bell peppers, onions [white, yellow & red], poblano and bacon chunks that one gets from a package of 'ends & pieces'. I use game shears to snip nearly all of the white or fat from the bacon & only skewer the meat. Cook them over a gas grill until the peppers are slightly blackened on their edges & charred and the ends of the wooden skewers are also. You can lightly salt & pepper the loaded skewers to taste before cooking, if you like.
For birds that have been picked and the spines cut out and nipped at the knees & elbows I like to place them breast up in a deep iron skillet [you could use a Dutch oven as well] then put enough water in to not quite cover the birds and add about six beef bullion cubes. Bring it up to a strong roil, then back it off to a slow simmer and cover and let the birds cook until the broth is reduced by about half or a bit more. No other seasoning is used. Prepare rice of your liking and place three to four birds per plate breast up over a bed of rice and ladle the broth reduction over both birds and rice.
Enjoy!
Note: On rice, my pref. for the above is to use a par-boiled long grain white rice from TX or LA. Also works well w/brown, wild or Jasmine rice. I would avoid using a 'sticky' rice or a Mexican or short grained variety. Just a personal taste thing learnt by doin' over a few decades, thanks.
