Dove Jambalaya

By Chef Christian Carlisle, Owner of Blue Collard Catering

Winner of Aiken’s Choice for Best Chef and Best Caterer 2024

Ingredients:

1 pound raw, bulk Italian sausage

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped Vidalia onion

3/4 cup minced celery

2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 pound dove or quail breast*

3 cups hot chicken stock

1 1/2 cups Carolina Gold rice

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 pounds crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

*You may also substitute chicken or quail

Instructions

In a heavy bottom stock pot or Dutch oven sauté the sausage chopping and crumbling as you go rendering the fat. As the fat renders and the sausage browns, melt the butter in the pan and add the onion and celery. Sauté until soft stirring often to prevent any burning. Add some of the stock to release anything that sticks to the bottom.

Add the garlic and dove breast and sauté just to open up the garlic and sear the exterior of the breast chunks. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock scraping the bottom of the pot to release any aromatic buildup.

Add the rice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and crushed tomatoes and stir evenly distributing everything throughout the cooking liquid. Add the seasonings and bring to a simmer.

Once the pot begins to bubble, cover and place in an oven heated to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the lid and check the rice. It should have cooked through and absorbed most of the liquid. If the rice is still not done, stir the pot one final time and return to the oven.

Let stand 20 minutes off the heat and serve with a crusty bread.

Wine & Beer Pairing

By James Alford, Cork & Cap Bottle Shoppe

Pinot Noir:

Matt Fowles crafts this playful named Pinot in the cooler hills of Victoria (Australia) and its red fruit scented accents are the perfect complement to the mild, reddish meat of grilled dove. While traditionally known for big, hulking Shiraz grown in the heat of Barossa, Matt’s Pinot shows that Australia is game for world class efforts in a lighter register as well.

Beer:

While some consider dopplebock to be a heavier style of beer, the coppery brew from the world’s oldest beer maker has the malty richness to pair with grilled meat, but the balance to be enjoyed on its own. Refrain from over-chilling it and you’ll find complexity and depth usually reserved for much spendier brews.