Dove Piccata

September 25, 2026 Nathan L. Judice Columns, Dove, How Sportsmen Cook, Recipes
Dove Piccata

Enhance this dish with tasso, tri-color quinoa and roasted squash

The first dove of the season has a way of making you forget just how hot September can be in South Louisiana.

You’re sitting in a field before daylight, sweating before the sun is even up, wondering why you volunteered for this again. Then you hear that familiar flutter, look up and watch a dove cut across the sky. Suddenly, the heat doesn’t matter. The shotgun comes up, the bird folds and just like that — you’re reminded exactly why we do this.

Dove hunting is one of those traditions that connects the field to the table better than almost anything. The birds are small, the season is short and there’s no reason to waste a single bite.

Around my kitchen, that means looking past the standard bacon-wrapped dove popper. Don’t get me wrong — I’ll never turn one down. But these little birds deserve a chance to show what they can really do.

For this recipe, I took a little French inspiration and gave it a South Louisiana accent. The dove breasts are lightly dredged in ranch-seasoned flour and quickly seared before being finished in a bright lemon-caper piccata sauce. Then I brought in one of Louisiana’s greatest culinary weapons: tasso. The smoky, seasoned pork adds just enough Cajun backbone to a tri-color quinoa pilaf tossed with roasted squash, zucchini, green onions and lemon zest.

The result is light enough to let the dove shine, but rich enough to remind you that you’re eating something that came straight out of the field.

That’s the whole point of hunting for me. Respect the game, use what you take and make it damn good.

Happy hunting,

Recreational Chef

INGREDIENTS:

DOVE PICCATA

  • 8-12 dove breast fillets
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp. ranch seasoning
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 2 tbsp. capers, drained
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp. cold butter

TASSO QUINOA

  • 1 cup tri-color quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 ounces tasso, finely diced
  • 1 cup roasted squash and zucchini, diced
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. sliced green onions
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Black pepper, to taste

PREPARATION: Serves 2-4

Roast the squash and zucchini

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • Dice the squash and zucchini into small, bite-sized pieces. Toss with a little olive oil and black pepper.
  • Spread on a sheet pan and roast for 15–20 minutes, stirring once, until lightly browned around the edges but still holding their shape.
  • Set aside.

Make the tasso quinoa

  • Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and drain.
  • Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced tasso and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tasso has rendered some of its fat and begins to brown.
  • Add the quinoa directly to the pan and toast with the tasso for 1-2 minutes.
  • Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
  • Remove from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
  • Fluff with a fork, then fold in the roasted squash and zucchini, green onions and lemon zest. Taste and adjust the pepper and salt only if necessary.
  • Keep warm while you cook the dove.

Prepare the dove

  • Pat the dove breasts thoroughly dry with paper towels.
  • In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, ranch seasoning and black pepper.
  • Lightly dredge each dove breast in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. You want a very thin coating, not a heavy breading.
Dove Piccata

Sear the dove

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted and beginning to foam, add the dove breasts in a single layer. Work in batches if necessary.
  • Sear for approximately 60-90 seconds per side, depending on the size of the breasts.
  • The goal is a beautiful golden crust while keeping the inside tender. Do not cook dove until well done.
  • Transfer the breasts to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

Build the piccata sauce

  • Reduce the heat to medium.
  • Add the sliced green onions to the same skillet and sauté for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the capers.
  • Pour in the white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce for 1 minute, then add the lemon juice and chicken broth.
  • Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing it to reduce slightly.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon of cold butter for a glossy, silky finish.

Finish the dove

  • Return the dove breasts and any accumulated juices to the skillet.
  • Spoon the sauce over the breasts and warm for approximately 30–60 seconds.
  • Don’t let them sit in the sauce too long. Dove is lean and can go from tender to dry in a hurry.

Plate it up

  • Spoon the warm tasso quinoa into shallow bowls.
  • Arrange the dove breasts over the quinoa and generously spoon the lemon-caper sauce over the top.
  • Finish with additional sliced green onions, a few capers and fresh lemon zest.
  • Serve immediately.

Tips:

  • The ranch seasoning is the secret weapon. It adds garlic, herbs, onion and tang to the flour without requiring a long ingredient list. It also gives the dove a surprisingly good savory crust that plays well with the lemon and capers.
  • Go easy on the salt. Ranch seasoning, tasso and capers all bring plenty of sodium. Taste the quinoa and sauce before adding any additional salt.
  • Don’t overcook the dove. These little breasts are incredibly lean. A quick sear followed by a short finish in the sauce is all they need.

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