Home › The Principles of Cookery › Pigeons, Stewed, with Mushrooms

Pigeons, Stewed, with Mushrooms

Pluck, draw, and singe two plump young house pigeons. Cut off their heads and necks, and truss them with the legs inwards, as if for boiling. Put the birds into a stewpan with half a pound of streaky bacon cut into small pieces, and an ounce of fresh butter, and turn them about until they are equally and lightly browned, then take them up, drain them, and mix one ounce of fine flour smoothly with the butter in which they were fried. Moisten the roux with a pint of gravy or water, and a table-spoonful of mushroom ketchup, add a little pepper, salt, and cayenne, and stir the gravy over the fire until it boils, then strain it, and put it into a clean saucepan with the pigeons, the fried bacon, a bunch of parsley, a small sprig of thyme, and a dozen button onions. Simmer gently for half an hour, take out the herbs, add a dozen small mushrooms, and stew ten minutes longer. Serve the birds on a hot dish, with the gravy poured over them, and the bacon, onions, and mushrooms put with them. Probable cost, 3s. Sufficient for two or three persons.