Cassell's dictionary of cookery

spoonful of chopped parsley, and a pinch of powdered thyme, and moisten the whole with beaten yolk of egg. Truss the buds firmly, tie thin slices of bacon over the breasts, and put them down to a clear fire. To make the gravj', mix the drippings from the birds with half a cupful of boiling stock or water. Add a tablespoonful of claret, a little of the forcemeat, season with salt, cayenne, and grated nutmeg, and thicken the whole with the yolk of egg well beaten. Serve the birds on a hot dish, with the sauce poured round them, and a little breadsauce in a tureen. Time to roast the pigeons, from twenty to thirty minutes. Probable cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for two persons. Pigeons, Stuffed and Roasted (German method). — Pluck and draw two young freshly-killed pigeons. Open, scald, and clean the gizzard, and mince it with the liver and heart very finely. Mix with the mince the crumb of a roU which has been soaked in cold milk and pressed dry, and add a little salt and cayenne, a shallot chopped small, and a tablespoonful of shred parsley. If the flavour of the onion and the parsley is objected to, a little bacon and a pinch of powdered mace may be substituted for them. Bind the forcemeat together with yolk of egg, and fill the crop with it between the flesh and the neck. The skin must be cut and raised carefully with the fingers, and then sewn or tied securely with thread. Dip the pigeons into butter, dredge well with flour, and season with pepper and salt. Cover them entirely with thin slices of fat bacon, put them into a stewpan, and turn them frequently until they are brightly browned all over. Pour half a cupful of boiling water upon them, cover the saucepan closely, and let them steam until done enough. Serve on a hot dish, with the sauce round them. Time, half an hour to steam the birds. Probable cost, 2s. Sufficient for two persons. Pigeons, Stufied and Stewed.— Pluck and draw two plump, freshly-killed young pigeons, and truss them as for boiling. Mince the livers finely, and mix with them twice their bulk of highly-seasoned bread-crumbs, half a salt-spoonful of chopped lemon-rind, half a saltspoonful of powdered thyme, a tea-spoonful of chopped parsley, and the yolk of an hardboiled egg crushed to powder. FUl the birds with this forcemeat, and put in each half an ounce of fresh butter. Lay them breast downwards into a small stewpan, and barely cover them with veal stock or, failing this, water. Let them stew gently until they are done enough, then take them up, strain the gravy, thicken with two table-spoonfuls of flour mixed smoothly with two table-spoonfuls of cream, and the yolks of two eggs, and season with a little pepper, salt, and powdered mace. Stir the sauce over the fire until it is quite hot without boiling, put in the pigeons for a minute to heat, and serve immediately. A few stewed mushrooms is a great improvement to this dish. Time, half an hour to stew the pigeons. Probable cost, 2s., with pigeons at 9d. each. Sufficient for two or three persons. Pigeons Stuffed with Chestnuts, and Roasted. — Take a dozen sound chest- PIG ( 566 ) PIK