Compotte of Pigeons.
Cut off the pinions, draw the legs in close, colour the breast in boiling hot lard, and then blanch and wash them; which done, put them in a stewpan, add a little veal broth, and simmer them gently till nearly done, and then make a ragout of blanched sweetbreads, button mushrooms, truffles, morells, artichoke bottoms, egg balls, cullis, and the liquor of the pigeons strained, and season well to the palate. Let the ingredients stew for ten minutes, then add them to the pigeons, and serve up all together in a deep dish.
Pigeons a la Craupidine.
Cut off the pinions, draw in the legs, cut the breast so as to lay back, then pass them with sweet herbs, mushrooms, eschallots chopped fine, a little fresh butter, grated nutmeg, lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Let them simmer till nearly done; then lay them on a dish, and when nearly cool, egg with yolk of eggs, and strew them with crumbs of bread rubbed through a fine hair sieve. Fry them of a light colour in boiling hot lard (or broil them). Serve them up with a good cullis and sharp sauce underneath.
Pigeons glaized.
Put some good-seasoned forcemeat in the pigeons, cut off the pinions, lay back the legs, blanch them, and roast them gently with vine leaves and bards of fat bacon over them. When they are to be served up glaize the top part, and serve them with cullis sauce, or celery heads, or asparagus tops, &c. under them.
Pigeons a la Sousell.
Bone the legs and wings of four pigeons and draw them in; then fill them with a high-seasoned forcemeat, and braise them in a half pint of veal stock. When done enough, take the pigeons out, wipe them dry, glaize the top, and serve them up with stewed sorrel underneath.
N. B. The liquor they were braised in to be strained, skimmed free from fat, and reduced almost to a glaize, and added to the sorrel. (Or they may, when three parts done, be wiped dry, egged and breadcrumbed over, then fried in boiling lard, and served up with sorrel sauce underneath as above).