Pigeons, Braised, with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• three pigeons
• one or two slices of fat bacon
• a large onion
• a broken shank of veal
• a bimch of parsley
• a sprig of thyme
• a blade of mace
• a little pepper
• a little salt
• a pint of good stock

Method

1. 1

   Stuff the pigeons with veal force-meat and truss them.

2. 2

   Place bacon under and over the birds in a pan with the onion, veal shank, parsley, thyme, mace, pepper, salt, and stock.

3. 3

   Cover with buttered paper and stew gently.

4. 4

   Keep the pigeons hot while boiling down the gravy to a jelly.

5. 5

   Glaze the pigeons and serve with mushrooms or peas.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated from matched ingredients across 3 servings.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Cassell's dictionary of cookery (1892) by Cassell & Company, page 1193. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

igeons, Braised, with. Mushrooms, &C. — Stuff three pigeons with good veal force- meat, and truss them as if for boiling. Put one or two slices of fat bacon under and over the birds, and place with them, in a pan just large enough to contain them, a large onion fried in hot butter, a broken shank of veal, a bimch of parsley, a sprig of thj^me, a blade of mace, a little pepper and salt, and a pint of good stock. Cover the preparation with buttered paper, press the lid of the sauce- pan closely down, and let the pigeons stew as gently as possible. Take them up, and keep them hot while the gravy is boiling quickly down to a jelly. Glaze tlicm with this, and serve with stewed mushrooms or green peas. Time to braise, three-quarters of an hour. Probable cost, 3s. 6d. Sufficient for three persons. Pigeons, Broiled. — Pigeons may be broiled whole, or split open and flattened with a cleaver. They are more easily cooked when flattened, but retain their juice better iE left whole. Pluck, draw, singe, and wash the bird. Dip it in some oil or clarified butter, season with pepper and salt, and broil over a clear fire imtil it is nicelj- browned. Baste once or twice ; and in order to do this put the bu-d on a plate, and with a feather brush it over with PIG ( 560 ) PIG oil or butter. Serve as hot as possible, and send mushroom sauce, brown gravy, parsley sauce, tomato sauce, or piquant sauce to table in a, tureen. Time to broil the pigeon, fifteen to twenty minutes. Probable cost, 9d. to Is. 9d. each. Sufficient for one person. Pigeons, Broiled (another way). — Mix an ounce of butter with a dessert-spoonful of dried flour. Add a finely-minced shallot, a salt- spoonful of chopped parsle}', and a little pepper and salt. Stir the mixture over the fire for five minutes. Truss two pigeons as if for boiling, flatten them without breaking the skin, put a piece of butter and a little pepper and salt inside them, and tie them at both ends. Dip them into the mixture while it is warm, and continue to do so until they are covered with it. Leave them in a cool place for an hour or more, then broil them over a clear fire. Send tomato, mushroom, or piquant sauce to table with them. If preferred, pigeons may be simply dij^ped in butter, egg, and seasoned bread-crumbs before they are broiled. Time to broil, fifteen to twenty minutes. Probable cost, 9d. to Is. 9d. each. Sufficient for two persons. Pigeons, Broiled (another way).— To be worth the trouble of picking, pigeons must be ■well grown, and well fed. Clean them well, and pepper and salt them; broil them over a clear slow fire ; turn them often, and put a little butter on them. When they are done, pour over them either stewed or pickled mush- rooms, or ketchup and melted butter. Gramish with fried bread-crumbs or sippets, or, when the i)igeons are trussed as for boiling, flat them with a cleaver, taking care not to break the skin of the backs or breasts ; season with pepper and salt, a little bit of butter, and a tea- spoonful of water, and tie them close at both ends ; so when thej^ are brought to table they bring their sauce with them. Egg and dredge them well with grated bread (mixed with spice and sweet herbs, if you please) , then lay them on the gridiron, and turn them frequently. If your fire is not very clear, lay them on a sheet of paper well buttered, to keep them from getting smoked. They are much better broiled ■whole. Pigeons, Compote of. —Truss half a dozen plump young pigeons as if for boiling. Lard them down the breasts, or, if preferred, cover their breasts with thin slices of fat bacon. Fry them in hot butter till they are equally and lightly browned all over ; then drain them, and put them side by side into a stewpan large •enough to contain them. Barely cover them with good gravy, and add half a dozen small onions, a dozen button-mushi-ooms, a glassful of claret, and a little salt

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.