Pigeons with Green Peas

Truss six pigeons as for an entree (No. 178), returning the livers to their original place. Melt some chopped fat pork in a saucepan, add to it a quarter of a pound of small five-eighths inch squares of bacon and fry for a few moments, then remove them with a skimmer. Put the pigeons into this saucepan with five or six small onions for each bird, brown slightly and slowly, then add one and a half quarts of green peas, a bunch of parsley and the bacon. Two minutes later moisten with two gills of stock (No. 194a), boil for five minutes and withdraw the saucepan to a slower fire, push into the oven, and finish cooking the peas and pigeons, then drain out the birds, untruss and dress them on a dish; thicken the peas with kneaded butter (No. 579), and place them around the pigeons.