A dirty rice/fried rice hybrid with dove giblets, sausage and bacon.

This is a great side for doves or other poultry. Sausage, bacon and dove offal are cooked until crisp, then combined with cooked rice and green onion to produce a crispy, savory cake. Use any loose pan or breakfast sausage, but I find a sausage with a little sweetness is very good here. 

Serves 4

4 ounces breakfast sausage or pan sausage

4 slices bacon, chopped (about 4 ounces)

1 cup dove giblets, finely chopped, pulsed in a food processor or ground (from about 12 doves)

Salt and pepper

1 cup green beans, thinly sliced

8 green onions, sliced, white and green parts divided

2 cups cooked white rice

hot sauce, to taste

Lard or olive oil, as needed

Cook the breakfast sausage and bacon in a non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat until rendered and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a spatula.

Add the dove giblets and continue to cook until crispy and browned, about 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the white parts of the onions and cook until just starting to brown. Have ready a medium bowl with a strainer set over it.

Remove the pan and empty the contents into the strainer. Allow to drain for a few minutes. Add up to 3 tbsp of the drained fat back into the non-stick or cast-iron pan; if there’s not enough fat, add some lard or olive oil to make 3 tbsp.

Add the strained meats back to the bowl, along with the green beans, green parts of the green onions and the cooked rice. Mix well and check the seasoning, adding in some hot sauce to taste.

Heat the reserved fat in the pan over medium-low heat. Add the rice mixture and press it firmly into the pan. Cook, without stirring, for about 20 minutes; you should hear a very quiet, constant sizzle. If it seems like it's cooking too quickly, turn down the heat a little. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for a few minutes.

Shake the pan gently to loosen the rice. Place a serving plate over the rice pan and carefully flip it over. It should be deeply golden and crispy. If not, flip it back into the pan and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with grilled game birds, sausages, grilled turkey paillards, confit duck legs or on its own, with some vinegary hot sauce on the side.