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To Stew Pigeons
524. Take six pigeons, cut the flesh from one, and with the livers from all and a good slice of fat bacon, beat all together well in a mortar. Then take a few sweet-herbs and a little shalot and mix with the above to stuff the pigeons. Cut off their legs and pinions; stew the bones and trimmings to make gravy (and add a little mutton if required;) then put the pigeons into the gravy, when cleared of all bones and meat, with their breasts downwards, turning them carefully till they are done. Add a little port-wine, thickened with flour and butter, and put in a little walnut pickle.
A Victorian braise in which one of the six birds is sacrificed to stuff the other five. The whole dish depends on building a strong gravy from the bones and trimmings first, so do that before the birds go anywhere near heat.
- What bird to buyThese are domestic pigeons, sold now as squab, usually 12-16 oz each and available from game dealers and some butchers. Wood pigeon works but is leaner and tougher; farmed squab is the closer match to what the book assumes. Pigeon livers are rarely sold separately, so ask the supplier to keep them or substitute an equal weight of chicken livers.
- The forcemeatThe flesh of one bird, all the livers and a slice of fat bacon, pounded in a mortar, is a coarse liver farce. A food processor does it in twenty seconds; pulse rather than run it to a paste, and chill the mixture before stuffing so it holds together.
- "Sweet-herbs" and "shalot"Sweet herbs means the mild kitchen herbs: parsley, thyme, marjoram, a little sage. Shalot is shallot; one small one, finely chopped, is enough for five birds, as raw shallot in a farce stays assertive.
- Legs and pinionsThe pinion is the wing tip. Removing legs and wing tips gives you a compact body that sits breast-down in the pan and also supplies the bones for the stock, which is the point of the instruction.
- The gravySimmer bones, trimmings and, if you like, a piece of mutton neck for about an hour, then strain thoroughly. "Cleared of all bones and meat" means a clean strained liquor, not a broth with solids in it. You want just enough to come halfway up the birds.
- Cooking timeThe original gives none. Farmed squab, breast-down and barely simmering, is done in 25-35 minutes; older wood pigeon may need an hour or more. Turn gently once or twice so the stuffing stays in place, and test at the thigh.
- Walnut picklePickled walnut liquor, a standard Victorian larder item, is still sold in jars of pickled walnuts. A tablespoon of the liquor, or a teaspoon of mushroom ketchup with a dash of vinegar, gives the same dark, slightly sour edge. Add it at the end, off the boil.
- ThickeningFlour and butter here means beurre manie: knead equal weights cold and whisk it into the simmering gravy in small pieces. Add the port before the thickening so it has a minute or two to simmer into the gravy.
- YieldFive stuffed birds, so five servings, or six modest ones if you carve them. Serve with the gravy poured over and something plain alongside: mashed potato or fried bread.