5. " Pigeon Pie.'^ — A pound and a, half of tender lean
beef to three good pigeons, half a pound of leanish bacon,
and a pound of gravy beef✪ Pigeon Pie. The process is not very
different from that of the pies already described. You
must make the best gravy possible from the pound of
gravy meat, the pigeon trimmings, and any scraps at hand.
The pigeons should be placed upon the tender beef, which
should be cut into neat collops and blended with the bacon
cut into thin strips as propounded for " beef-steak pie,"
Menu No. 28. Do not cut the pigeons in halves : let them
be prepared whole as if for roasting, and put some chopped
bacon seasoned with pepper, salt, or " spiced pepper,"
salt, and grated lime peal, inside each bird. Half a glass
of Madeira or any sound white wine may be mingled with
the gravy, the pie- dish should be rubbed with a shallot
before it is packed, finely chopped parsley should be
sprinkled over the bottom of the dish before the beef
280 CULINARY JOTTINGS FOR MADRAS.
collops are arranged upon it, and the pigeon's livers with
bacon rolled round them should be arranged on the surface.
I have also found that mutton collops may be used with
almost as good an effect as those of beef. I used the meat
of the blade-bone of a shoulder, which was cut into neat
pieces ; these were rolled with a slice of bacon inside them
as directed for beef.
6. " Snipe Pie.'' — When snipes are plentiful, as they
often are in India, the cook ought to remember this
delicacy. Supposing eight birds to be available, I would
work in this way : — I would prepare six of them, as if for
roasting, for the pie ; and two I would sacrifice for the
gravy, which ought to be very first rate. For this pur-
pose two pounds of gravy meat must be obtained, besides
about a couple of pounds of the undercut, or tender rib-
meat, for the pie. Having made as good a beef gravy as
possible, I would throw into it the two snipe, and proceed
to make a little puree (as explained in Menu No. 16)
pounding the meat of the birds, after they have been slowly
simmered in the gravy, to a paste, and blending it with
the gravy secundum artem. After rubbing the pie-dish
with a shallot, I would fill up the bottom of it with little
collops of the tender beef rolled with strips of bacon,
" spiced pepper" being dusted over each layer until all
the beef has been used. I would lay the six snipes on the
surface of the beef with slices of lean bacon, ham, tongue,
or Bologna sausage, between each bird, garnish as usual,
baptize the pie with the puree, saving some of it for the
final process previously described, cover it with a nice
light paste, and bake.
Birds badly knocked about in shooting come in usefully
for gravy.
Partridges, and quails make good pies, but they require
a sound and strong support in the way of fresh meat, and
A FEW NICE PIES. 281 ✪ Snipe Pie
Page 159 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1885. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
5. "Pigeon Pie." — A pound and a, half of tender lean beef to three good pigeons, half a pound of leanish bacon, and a pound of gravy beef. The process is not very different from that of the pies already described. You must make the best gravy possible from the pound of gravy meat, the pigeon trimmings, and any scraps at hand. The pigeons should be placed upon the tender beef, which should be cut into neat collops and blended with the bacon cut into thin strips as propounded for " beef-steak pie," Menu No. 28. Do not cut the pigeons in halves : let them be prepared whole as if for roasting, and put some chopped bacon seasoned with pepper, salt, or " spiced pepper," salt, and grated lime peel, inside each bird. Half a glass of Madeira or any sound white wine may be mingled with the gravy, the pie- dish should be rubbed with a shallot before it is packed, finely chopped parsley should be sprinkled over the bottom of the dish before the beef
collops are arranged upon it, and the pigeon's livers with bacon rolled round them should be arranged on the surface.
I have also found that mutton collops may be used with almost as good an effect as those of beef. I used the meat of the blade-bone of a shoulder, which was cut into neat pieces ; these were rolled with a slice of bacon inside them as directed for beef.
6. "Snipe Pie." — When snipes are plentiful, as they often are in India, the cook ought to remember this delicacy. Supposing eight birds to be available, I would work in this way : — I would prepare six of them, as if for roasting, for the pie ; and two I would sacrifice for the gravy, which ought to be very first rate. For this purpose two pounds of gravy meat must be obtained, besides about a couple of pounds of the undercut, or tender ribmeat, for the pie. Having made as good a beef gravy as possible, I would throw into it the two snipe, and proceed to make a little puree (as explained in Menu No. 16) pounding the meat of the birds, after they have been slowly simmered in the gravy, to a paste, and blending it with the gravy secundum artem. After rubbing the pie-dish with a shallot, I would fill up the bottom of it with little collops of the tender beef rolled with strips of bacon, " spiced pepper" being dusted over each layer until all the beef has been used. I would lay the six snipes on the surface of the beef with slices of lean bacon, ham, tongue, or Bologna sausage, between each bird, garnish as usual, baptize the pie with the puree, saving some of it for the final process previously described, cover it with a nice light paste, and bake.
Birds badly knocked about in shooting come in usefully for gravy.
Partridges, and quails make good pies, but they require a sound and strong support in the way of fresh meat, and
Records on this page
Pigeon PieSnipe Pie