Two Turtledoves

Day Two. What’s to say about turtledoves except that I don’t think I’ve ever seen one and our family cat once gave birth to a liter of four, two black and white tabbies and two calicos and my sisters named one of the calicos Regina Turtledove. Not sure what that means but the other calico kitten was named Tiger which was more appropriate. Anywho…

I’m sure some of you are hunters and may, or may not have, bagged a dove or two. My grandfather and his brothers used to hunt quail. My Uncle Bill and his sons like to hunt duck, among other things. He had a German Shorthaired Pointer named Hoss that was a little too good at what he did. Once you made the shot, if you didn’t get to the bird before Hoss did, there usually wasn’t much left of the bird. He didn’t like to share, that silly dog. I’m not much of a hunter so I think I’ll stick to eating.

Instead of Turtledoves, I’ve used squab which is actually a pigeon and is roughly the same size as a turtledove. You could also use Cornish game hens, quail, or that universal bird - chicken.

Two Turtledoves

Prosciutto Wrapped Boneless Squab with Mediterranean Tomato Fig Sauce

4 boneless squab, or 2 large boneless chicken breasts
2 slices prosciutto (Italian ham)
Olive oil
¼ C diced sweet Vidalia onion
½ tsp minced fresh garlic
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
4 figs, diced
1 T chopped fresh sweet basil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 C chicken broth
1 15 Oz can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Season the meat with a little pepper. No salt. Wrap with the prosciutto and secure with a toothpick. In a large heavy skillet with a little olive oil, sear all sides until golden brown, about a minute each side. Add the onions, garlic, Roma tomatoes and figs and sauté a couple of minutes until the onions, tomatoes and figs are soft and aromatic. Deglaze with the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth, scrapping any residue off the bottom. Mix in the canned tomatoes and fresh chopped basil. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or so and the sauce is nice and thick. Serve over cooked couscous or angel hair pasta.

I honestly haven't tried it yet...tonight? Friday? We'll see.