With Green Peas.—When cleaned and prepared, truss the pigeons and put them in a saucepan with about two ounces of butter for half a dozen, stir now and then till turning rather brown all around and take off; then put in the saucepan about two ounces of salt pork cut in dice, stir, and, when partly fried, take it off also. The pan being still on the fire, put into it a good tablespoonful of flour, stir till it turns brown, when you add about a quart of broth, stir and mix; put pigeons and salt pork back into the pan, season with a bunch of seasonings, composed of half a dozen stalks of parsley, one of thyme, two bay-leaves, a clove, and one clove of garlic. Boil gently till nearly half done, and then add a quart of green peas, blanched previously; boil again gently till the whole is done; remove the bunch of seasonings and the clove of garlic; dish the pigeons, turn the peas in the same dish, but in the middle of the pigeons, which can be tastefully placed all around the dish; strain the sauce over the whole, and serve warm.
With Mushrooms.—Prepare and truss the pigeons the same as for the above, and proceed also as for the above in every particular, except that you do not put in the saucepan quite as much broth, a pint is sufficient, and boil gently till done, but do not add peas.
Ten minutes before taking from the fire, add a dozen mushrooms, whole or sliced, and half a gill of claret wine, if handy.
Dish the pigeons, place the mushrooms in the middle of the dish, strain the sauce over the whole, and serve warm.
Fried.—Take four pigeons, cut each in four pieces, put two ounces of butter in a stewpan and set it on the fire; when melted, put the pigeons in with two or three sprigs of parsley, a small sprig of thyme, a bay-leaf, a pinch of allspice, salt, pepper, and half a pint of broth. Take the pigeons off when half cooked, and, as soon as they are cool, dip each piece in beaten eggs and roll it in bread-crumbs. Strain the butter that may be left in the stewpan, and put it in a frying-pan with about an ounce more, and fry the birds for about two minutes; serve with water-cress or parsley all around.
In Compote.—Roast six pigeons as directed. Then cut one of them in dice, put it in a mortar and pound it. Put half an ounce of butter in a saucepan, and, when melted, fry half an onion chopped fine in it; then add to the pounded pigeon about a gill of gravy, a gill of good broth, salt, pepper, a bunch of seasonings, composed of three stalks of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, and a clove; also about a gill of Madeira wine or white wine, boil gently till reduced about one-third, strain. Put back on the fire, add butter, and when melted stir and set it on the corner of the range to keep warm while the rest is prepared. Cut the other five pigeons in two, lengthwise. Cut ten pieces of bread square, or of an oval shape, and about the size of a half pigeon, fry them with a little butter, and place them on a dish. While the bread is frying, put the pigeons in an oven to warm them; place half a pigeon on each slice of bread, or one lapping over the other; have the slices and pigeons so arranged that they fill the dish, leaving only a small space in the middle, into which you pour the sauce; serve the whole hot.
In Crapaudine.—When prepared, split open the backs of the pigeons; cut the legs at the first joints and run them through the skin so that the ends come out on the inside; dip the bird in beaten eggs, roll them in bread-crumbs, and broil them.
While they are broiling, knead butter, chopped parsley, and lemon-juice together; spread some on the pigeons when they are dished, and serve warm.
GIBLETS.
By giblets are understood the gizzards, heads, legs, livers, necks, and ends of the wings of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other birds, tame or wild.