marinate stuff in and we put the bacon around it because it keeps it soft and moist .”
Wild game is very flavorful , so it is okay to cut into smaller portions .
“ Rabbit is probably one of my favorite meats ,” Luke said . “ We usually cut all of the meat off of the bones and cut it up like little nuggets , just like chicken nuggets but they are rabbit nuggets .”
She seasons the nuggets with salt and pepper and then flours them before frying .
“ They are very tender ,” she said . “ For people who think they don ’ t like wild meat , it almost has a chicken flavor to it .”
Luke also likes to take rabbit legs and parboil them until they are tender . Then , she puts them in an iron skillet with gravy to cook . She serves the rabbit with rice , gray and biscuits .
She doesn ’ t cook squirrel often , but she also cuts the meat into pieces after soaking it in salt water until tender and then fries the squirrel meat .
While many people rave about her cooking , Luke said her recipes are not complicated or famous .
“ I don ’ t know if you call them recipes because I don ’ t go by any kind of recipe ,” she said . “ We just like a lot of country cooking .”
Baked Dove Breasts 20 to 25 dove breasts 10-12 slices bacon
Marinade : 1 / 2 bottle zesty Italian dressing 1 stick butter , melted 1 cup Dale ’ s Seasoning 1 / 3 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 1 / 2 cup milk 1 / 3 cup lemon juice
Combine Italian dressing , butter , Dale ’ s seasoning , Worcestershire sauce , milk and lemon juice to make marinade . Soak dove breasts in mixture for six to eight hours or overnight in the refrigerator .
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Prepare 9 x 12 baking dish . Arrange doves in single layer in bottom of baking dish . Pour marinade over the dove breasts until completely covered . Lay strips of bacon over the breasts . Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about one hour .
Grilled Quail 10-12 quails 1 bottle zesty Italian dressing 10-12 slices of bacon Toothpicks
Place quails in a gallon Ziplock bag and pour 1 bottle of zesty Italian dressing over the birds . Seal the bag and marinate for four to six hours in the refrigerator .
Preheat grill to 350 degrees F . Remove quails from marinade and wrap each one with a slice of bacon . Secure with a toothpick . Place the wrapped quails on the preheated grill and cook until done , approximately 45 minutes .
Grilled Rabbit Legs 10-12 legs ( use front legs only )
Marinade : 1 / 3 cup Dale ’ s Seasoning 1 / 3 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 / 2 cup milk 1 / 2 bottle zesty Italian dressing
Parboil rabbit legs until tender . Drain and cool .
Combine Italian dressing , Dale ’ s seasoning , Worcestershire sauce and milk to make marinade . Soak rabbit legs in mixture for one hour in the refrigerator .
Preheat grill to 350 degrees F . Remove rabbit legs from marinade and place on grill . Baste legs with marinade several times while cooking . Grill about 30 minutes , turning rabbit legs at least once .
Fried Rabbit Nuggets Rabbit legs , desired amount Salt Pepper Flour
Cut the meat off of the rabbit ’ s back legs and loins into bite-sized pieces . Salt and pepper to taste and dredge in flour . Pre-heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat . Fry rabbit nuggets until browned on all sides . This has a similar taste to chicken . ( Wild turkey breasts can be substituted for rabbit legs in this recipe .) www . meridianstar . com
• 19