Molasses Rubbed Oven-Roasted Dove

• 12 Doves
• 2 Cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons comino (cumin)
• 12 strips thick-sliced bacon
• 1/4 cup oil
• 4 sprigs of rosemary, stemmed

Place the doves in buttermilk in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for about one hour. In another bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, pepper and comino, mixing well. Combine. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove marinated dove from buttermilk and pat dry with paper towel. Tightly wrap each bird with a strip of bacon, securing with toothpick if necessary. Coat each dove with oil, and then roll dove in molasses. Rub completely, coating the whole bird. Place coated doves in casserole dish, evenly dividing the stemmed rosemary on top of and around the birds. Cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until bacon starts to brown. Lower oven to 300 degrees and cook an additional 10 minutes or until birds are done. Remove and serve warm.