Veal stuffing for pigeons improves the flavor; they must be fresh and well cleaned; butter and parsley may be served with them, but parsley alone as a stuffing, though frequently used, is by no means so palatable as the veal stuffing, or one made with veal, the fat of bacon and the crumb of bread soaked in milk and well seasoned. Let your pigeons be picked clean and washed, then stuff the whole inside of the pigeon with fine stuffing.

To Broil

Split the backs, season them highly, lay them over a clear brisk fire; serve with mushroom sauce.

How To Cook As Woodcocks

Toast some bread as for woodcocks, butter it, and drop a few drops of essence of anchovies on the butter, spread it all over the toast, then put the toast under the pigeons while roasting.

To Stew

Take a white cabbage, cut it as for pickling, rinse it in clear cold water, drain it well, put it into a saucepan with equal quantities of milk and water, boil it, strain off the milk, and take a portion of the cabbage and lay it in a stewpan; soak the pigeons for half an hour in cold milk and water, season them well with salt and pepper, adding a little cayenne; place them in the stew-pan with the cabbage, cover them over with what remains, add some white broth, stew slowly until the pigeons are tender, thicken with a little cream, flour, and butter; let it boil, and serve up the pigeon with a puree of the cabbage. Lard and braise them in the same manner as chickens.