Hungarian Stewed Pigeons

A telegraphic entry typical of the daily-dish format: it names ingredients and leaves the cook to supply quantities, liquid and time. Here is what the gaps assume.

• The birdsFarmed squab, usually sold at around 12-16 oz each, is the closest modern equivalent; one bird per person. Older pigeon is much tougher, which may be why the original stews the birds rather than roasting them.
• Quantities to work fromFor four birds: about 8 oz chopped chicken thigh for the stuffing, two medium onions, two celery stalks, a small bunch each of chives and parsley, and 1-2 teaspoons paprika.
• "Stew slowly" needs liquidThe recipe never mentions any. Brown the birds in fat, then add stock to come halfway up them and cover; on the stovetop keep it at a bare tremble, or hold a covered pot at 325F in the oven.
• TimingSquab is tender in 45-60 minutes of gentle stewing. Older or wild birds can take two hours. Overcooked squab dries out and turns livery, so test at 45 minutes.
• The stuffing is raw meat inside a birdChopped chicken packed into a cavity heats slowly. Check the centre of the stuffing reaches 165F, not just the pigeon around it; a thin, loosely packed forcemeat cooks far more evenly than a dense one.
• Paprika"Paprica" in a Hungarian dish of this period most likely means sweet Hungarian paprika, used as a flavouring rather than a pinch of colour, though the recipe leaves the quantity to taste. Stir it into the fat off the heat before adding liquid, since paprika scorches and turns bitter over direct heat.
• Beet saladTypically cooked beets dressed with vinegar, a little sugar and caraway or horseradish. The acidity cuts the richness of a stewed dark-fleshed bird, which may be the thinking behind the pairing.
• FinishingThe braising liquid will be thin. Reduce it hard after the birds come out, or slacken it with a spoonful of sour cream off the heat, which is the usual Hungarian treatment.