Brined doves in sweet tea, with spicy honey.

Brining doves in sweet tea gives them added moisture, a nice sweetness and tannic notes from the tea. Buy sweet tea, or add sugar to what we refer to as "unsweet tea" along with salt, bay leaves and plenty of lemon. Brine the doves for at least a day so they'll take on as much of the tea qualities as possible. 

Grilling the doves under a foil-wrapped brick cooks them thouroughly on the skin side, pressing down to ensure the most contact for crisp caramelization. I like to cook the doves about 90% on the skin side, then just briefly flip them to finish the cooking. Take doves to medium for best results, so a nice trace of pink on the inside of the breast. This level of doneness provides the most tender texture, along with the best flavor, as overcooked dove can take on a bit of an iron-forward, liver flavor. Dove breasts will work well for this recipe, too, especially if you pluck them to retain the skin. 

Drizzle these right off the grill with garlicky hot honey.

Serves 4

2 quarts cold tea (or use pre-made sweet tea and omit the brown sugar)

½ cup Kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

4 bay leaves

2 lemons, quartered

12-16 whole, plucked doves

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Make the brine: bring the tea, salt, sugar and bay to a simmer, whisking until everything is dissolved. Squeeze the lemons into the brine and add the expressed lemons, too. Refrigerate the brine until it's cold.

Suberge the doves in the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove from the brine and dry well. 

Get a grill hot. Break the doves open at the breastbone, flattening them as much as possible. Brush with olive oil and season with black pepper.

Grill, under a foil-wrapped brick (you can fit about 4-6 doves under a brick) over a medium-hot fire until nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Flip and cook for another minute on the back side. The doves should still have a little spring left in the breasts, and be slightly pink on the interior. Remove to a platter and drizzle with the hot honey (recipe below).

Turkey Pepper Honey

You can make this chile-infused honey in a matter of minutes, and it will keep for a long time (but you’ll certainly eat it before then). The heat, of course, is the star of the show, but the balancing flavors of garlic and sour vinegar make a full-spectrum savory honey that is addictive. 

Makes 1 cup

1 cup honey

1-2 tsp dried or fresh turkey peppers, chiles de arbol or chile pequins, crushed

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

In a small pot, heat the honey, dried chiles and garlic to a simmer, then add the vinegar. Stir to combine, then remove the pot from the heat. Add a pinch of salt and a little fresh black pepper. Allow to infuse for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean jar. The honey can be stored for a couple of weeks at room temperature or couple of months in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before using.