How To Choose Pidgeons And Larks

When pidgeons or larks are fat, they will feel full and fat at the vent, and when they are fresh killed, they will be limber-sooted; when they are stale, the vent will be flabby and green.

How To Roast Pidgeons

Pidgeons should always be fresh, otherwise the flavour will not be so agreeable. Their bellies must be stuff'd with parsely finely chopt, with a little pepper and salt rolled in butter, and the neck end should be tied close, that nothing run out; Then run skewers through their legs, and hang them on the hooks of a little hanging-spit, of which there are generally fix. Tie one end of a firing or pack-thread to the upper part of the spit, and fatten the other end to the chimney in such a manner that the pidgeons may not touch the bars of the grate while they are roasting. About fifteen minutes will do them with the gravy in. Melt a very little butter and put in the dish; then take up the pidgeons very cautiously, that no liquor be spilt, and their own gravy mixing with the butter will afford liquor enough.

Another Way To Roast Pidgeons

Shred parsely fine and put some into the belly of the pidgeons, with a bit of butter of the size of a walnut, and a little pepper and salt. Then put them on a very small spit, and tie both ends close. Baste them with butter, and when they are enough, lay them in a dish. They will swim in gravy.

How To Broil Pidgeons

Split the pidgeons and strew a little pepper and salt over them; then set the gridiron high over a clear fire, and when they are enough take them up. Put melted butter in a cup. Or you may prepare them in the above manner as for roasting, and then broil them whole, taking care they don't burn.

How To Boil Pidgeons

Pidgeons should always be boiled by themselves For about fifteen minutes, and then they will be enough. Put one pidgeon in the middle, and lay the reft round about it, with boiled spinage between each, and a slice of bacon upon every one. Or you may put a handsome square piece of bacon in the middle, with spinage round it, and the pidgeons upon the spinage. Put some melted butter in a cup, and garnish the dish with little slices of bacon.

Another Way To Boil Pidgeons

Draw the pidgeons, and take off the skins;, then clean and wash them well, afterwards boil them in milk and water for ten minutes. Take them up, and pour the following sauce over them. Parboil the livers, and bruise them with as much boiled parsely after it is choptfine; melt some butter, and first mix a little of it with the liver and par-sley; afterwards stir them all together; pour this over the pidgeons.

How To Stew Pidgeons

Make a seasoning with sweet herbs, cloves, mace, pepper and salt. Wrap some of this mixture up in a piece of butter to put in each of their bellies; and tie up by the necks and the vents; lay them down to the fire, and half roast them, and then take them up and put them into a sauce-pan with a quart of good gravy, a little white wine, some pickled mushrooms, a few pepper corns, three or four blades of mace, a little lemon peel, a bunch of sweet herbs, a bit of onion, and some pickled oysters. Stew them enough, and thicken the liquor with yolks of eggs and butter. Garnish the dish with lemon.