Stewed Pigeons

Pigeons
Forcemeat Balls
1 Small Onion or a Shallot
Bacon
Stock (Brown Gravy)
Anchovy Fillet
Catchup
Lemon Juice
Flour
Butter

Stuffing
Pigeon Livers
Beef Suet
2 Eggs
Breadcrumbs
Parsley
Sweet Marjoram

Mix the pigeon livers, beef suet, breadcrumbs, parsley, marjoram and eggs together thoroughly.
Break the breast bones of the pigeons.
Use the mixture to stuff the trussed pigeons, sow both ends of the pigeons (with butchers twine) to prevent the stuffing from escaping.
Dust with flour and fry in butter until browned on all sides.
Transfer to a saucepan and cover with stock.
Cook until tender.
Mix together some of the stock they were cooked in, a finely chopped anchovy, finely chopped onion (or shallot), some catchup and lemon juice.
Heat through and pour over the pigeons with some forcemeat balls (which could be some of the stuffing reserved for use) and some crisp fried bacon.
Garnish with crisp parsley and lemon.

To stew Pigeons

Take your Pigeons, season and stuff them, flat the breast-bone, and truss them up as you would do for baking, dredge them over with a little flour, and fry them in butter, turning them round till all sides be brown, then put them into a stew-pan with as much brown gravy as will cover them, and let them stew whilst your Pigeons be enough; then take part of the gravy, an anchovy shred, a little catchup, a small onion, or a shallot, and a little juice of lemon for sauce, pour it over your pigeons, and lay round them forc'd-meat-balls and crisp bacon.
Garnish your dish with crisp parsley and lemon.
English Housewifry - 1764

Note: This recipe has not been tested by The Foody, please read the original recipe text before attempting to cook it.
Many of such recipes do not contain exact weights and measures, or cooking temperatures, so it is advised that only experienced cooks should attempt using them.

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Stewed Pigeons

To stew Pigeons

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Poultry