>>76394564Despite its plump appearance, the dodo has a relatively lean meat, most of his bulk comes from his fluffy plumage. Once plucked, the dodo can best be compared to a stocky chicken with a particularly muscular neck, owing to their climbing activities. This neck meat is known to be the most succulent part of the bird; though it isn't the fattiest or most tender, it is very flavorful. Due to the leanness of the meat, dodo is most suited to high heat, short cooking methods, such as grilling and searing, to avoid drying out the flesh further. It can have a slight fishy aftertaste due to the seafood in its diet, so most preparations make heavy use of spices and herbs to cover it; a local species of thyme grows easily all over the island, and is seen most often, alongside the long pepper gathered in the grove found in the lower plateau.
Salt and dried algae are two other common ingredients. Some imported fruits are grown in the greenhouses of the settlement, so the more well-to-do residents usually accompany the meat with mango, tomato, or pepper-based salsas, to bring acidity and freshness to the potentially dry cuts. Quickly simmering the meat (deboned and thinly sliced against the grain) in the rock palm's coconut milk is also a popular method. Slices of dwarf onion, dried seaweed and some pods of pepper are usually added to the milk beforehand to infuse it with flavor, and the dodo slices are cooked in the preparation right before serving to avoid overcooking it.