"Flying Shrimp," anyone? White-winged doves stuffed with shrimp and peppers
By Debbie Nygren Sontag
Special to LIVE!
This month, we were invited into the lovely, warm home of Kurt and Elaine Lemp for a delightful feast of “Flying Shrimp.” I was a little nervous because the birds were so small and the shrimp had no wings, but Kurt knows his dish and now is sharing it with you.
When we arrived, Elaine and Kurt were well underway making dinner. The doves had been de-boned, the breasts filleted into halves. The shrimp and jalapeños were ready for final assembly.
“Flying Shrimp” Stuffed Doves
- 12 de-boned white-winged dove breasts
- Louisiana Cajun seasoning (to taste)
- Pickled (or fresh) jalapeño slices
- Frozen shrimp (16-20 count) fresh or thawed to room temperature
- Strip bacon (cut in half, crosswise)
- Toothpicks to hold the pieces together
Season the bowl of dove breasts with the Louisiana Cajun seasoning and set aside. Then, season the shrimp with the same spices (one shrimp per two pieces of dove).
Now the assembly: One slice of dove, a couple of sliced, pickled (or fresh) jalapeños, one shrimp and one more dove breast half. Wrap the “sandwich” with one half-slice of bacon and seal with two toothpicks. Continue until all the “Flying Shrimp” are assembled, and fire up the outdoor grill to a medium heat.
When the fire is just right, put the doves on the grill for 12 to 20 minutes until done, watching closely to ensure they’re not overdone and drying. Serve over a wild and white rice blend, and you are ready to enjoy a great meal.
Elaine had a wonderful wild rice/pine nut dish, as well as Brussels sprouts cooking on the stove (everything smelled fantastic). She also served a simple, crisp mixed-green salad bathed lightly in vinegar-and-oil dressing, with French bread on the side. Needless to say, we went home with full tummies and great memories! And by the way, if you think you don’t like Brussels sprouts, give them a try; they are excellent and very healthy. They were delicious with our meal
The Lemps have been married 25 years and have one son, Zach, who is attending Texas State University. If you are lucky, you can also sample Kurt’s peanut brittle at many Main Street Saturday Markets in downtown Del Rio, the first Saturday of the month.
Kurt and Elaine are a very busy couple, continuing to experiment in the kitchen, designing new recipes. Both are very civic-minded, and, as an example, Kurt has made 250 to 500 pounds of guisado for the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce Wild Game Dinner since 1995.
A little about the white-winged dove. It was believed that they declined in their population over the last 50 years, but they are making a comeback. These distinctive birds summer in the south Texas area and winter in Central America. They generally have a very soft cooing call that some describe as, “Who-cooks-for-you?”. Doves nest as single pairs and sometimes in colonies. They are also a regional economic asset, drawing hunters here from all across the country.
Typically, there are only two eggs per pair and once hatched (in a couple of weeks) the fledglings leave the nest after only two more weeks. An interesting point I learned was that the doves produce “pigeon milk,” actually an enzyme formed in the craw of the adult doves and fed to the hatchlings for two days after hatching.
The Lemps have two beautiful and talented Brittany spaniels. (Kurt jokes that his dogs are great bird dogs, but doves aren’t their favorite targets because of all of the small feathers!) He has been hunting since childhood, and strives to find new ways to cook the game he brings home for Elaine and their lucky guests to enjoy.
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