Pigeon Pie (serves 6)

Ingredients

• 5 – 6 pigeons       
• seasoning
• 8 oz st4ewing steak     
• a little good gravy
• 8 oz short pastry

Method

Cut the birds into 4 joints: 2 breasts and 2 leg joints.  Put the remainder of the carcasses, with a small onion and carrot, to stew in a little water.  This stock can be made into gravy to eat with the pie.

Line the pie dish with slices of steak about 2 inches long and 1 inch across, then lay the pigeons on top, cover with water and season well.  Cover with greaseproof paper, and simmer in medium over for 1-2 hours.  Remove dish and cover with pie crust.  Glaze top with beaten egg, return to hot oven and bake until golden brown.  Fill up with gravy when the pie is opened.

Pigeon Pie (serves 4)

Ingredients

• 3 pigeon breasts      
• 1 – 2 rashers bacon
• ½ lb stewing steak, cut into small pieces  
• 1 sliced hard boiled egg
• 1 dessertspoon flour    
• stock
• 1 teaspoon salt     
• ½ lb flaky or short pastry
• ½ teaspoon pepper      
• egg and milk to glaze
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Method

Cut pigeon breasts into 4, right through the bones.  Dip each piece of pigeon and steak into seasoned flour and arrange in a pie dish.  Add parsley, diced bacon, hard boiled egg and sufficient stock to about half fill the dish.  Cover with pastry, decorate and glaze.   Bake at first in a hot oven until pastry is browned, then lower temperature and cook for about 2 hours until the pigeons are tender. 

Protect pastry with greaseproof covering if necessary, to prevent over browning.

When the pie is cooked, fill up with the remainder of stock.