Poppers are out.

First Saturday comes and goes fast. What you do with the birds afterward doesn't have to.

Here are two ways to turn a modest bag limit into something worth putting on the table, one fast and one slow. Cook one opening night and save the other for when the season slows down.

Blackened Dove Breast Tacos

The fastest route from field to plate. This one's built for the post-hunt party, not a dinner party.

What you'll need

• Dove breasts, deboned
• Blackening seasoning (cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, in whatever ratio your pantry allows)
• Corn tortillas
• Cabbage, thinly sliced
• Lime
• Cilantro
• A cast iron skillet or griddle, hot

How to cook it

1. Pat the breasts dry. Wet meat doesn't blacken, it steams.
2. Coat both sides heavy with the blackening seasoning. Don't be shy about it, the crust is the point.
3. Get the skillet ripping hot, more than you think you need, with a thin layer of oil that can take the heat.
4. Sear the breasts two to three minutes a side, no more. Dove is lean and small, and it goes from medium-rare to shoe leather faster than you'd expect. Pull them while the center still has some give.
5. Rest five minutes, then slice thin against the grain.
6. Warm the tortillas directly over the same skillet or an open flame until they blister.
7. Build the tacos: sliced dove, a handful of shredded cabbage, a squeeze of lime, a scatter of cilantro. That's it. Anything more is decoration.

Serves a crowd if you stretch the birds thin and let the toppings do the work.

Dove and Dumplings

This one's for when the hunt runs long and everyone's still standing around the fire pit at dark. Get it going early, let it take care of itself.

What you'll need

For the braise

• Dove breasts, bone-in if you've got them, skin on or off
• Yellow onion, diced
• Celery, diced
• Carrots, diced
• Garlic, minced
• Fresh thyme
• Bay leaf
• Chicken or game stock, enough to cover
• Butter or oil for browning
• Salt and pepper

For the dumplings

• Your favorite drop biscuit dough, or a simple mix of flour, baking powder, salt, buttermilk, and melted butter

How to cook it

1. Season the dove breasts and brown them hard in butter or oil, working in batches so you don't crowd the pot. This step builds the flavor, don't skip it.
2. Pull the breasts and set aside. In the same pot, sweat the onion, celery, and carrot until they soften, scraping up whatever's stuck to the bottom.
3. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf, cook another minute until it's fragrant.
4. Return the dove to the pot and add stock until everything's just covered.
5. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let it go low and slow for an hour to an hour and a half, until the meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning. This is the moment to fix it, not after the dumplings go in.
7. Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough directly onto the surface of the simmering braise.
8. Cover and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid. The steam is doing the work, and every peek lets it out.
9. Check that the dumplings are cooked through in the center, then serve straight out of the pot.

Holds well on low heat for hours, which makes it the right call when you don't know exactly when everyone's coming in from the field.

Two birds, two very different nights. Cook accordingly.