Pigeon Tart a la Britannia

Singe three clean pigeons; divide each one in two parts, beat, remove the surplus bones without boning them, then season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cover the bottom of a pie dish (Fig. 183) with thin slices of bacon, bestrew with a spoonful of onion, and one of mushrooms both chopped separately, range the halved pigeons in the dish intermingled with more slices of bacon, and a few hard-boiled eggs cut in two; bring it to a dome. Pour a few spoonfuls of good clear gravy (No. 404) into the bottom of the dish; cover with a layer of half paste the same as for the beef pie No. 2369. Decorate the summit, egg over, and cook for an hour and a quarter in a slack oven, covering with paper should it threaten to burn.