Ingredients

• 4 pigeon breasts     
• ¼ pt dry white wine
• 1½ oz butter      
• ¼ pt beef stock
• 6 oz fat bacon, diced    
• 1 savoy cabbage
• 1 dozen small onions     

Method

Fry bacon gently in butter until the fat flows.  Add pigeons and onions and brown.  Place all in casserole, pigeons breast down.  Remove any fat from pan, then pour in wine and stock and bring to the boil.  Put liquid in casserole with the pigeons, which should be almost covered, so more stock can be added if necessary.  Cover tightly and simmer.

Put cabbage into a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for 10 minutes.  Drain and open out into a flower shape.  Half an hour before the pigeons are cooked, remove them from the casserole, and place them breast down in amongst the cabbage leaves, then replace in casserole.  When cooked, arrange birds in cabbage, onions and bacon on a serving dish.  Skim off fat from gravy, reduce by boiling to a sauce and pour over dish.  Serve with boiled rice.