Epigrammes of Pigeon

Tenderized, wine-glazed pigeon fillets with poached, breaded quenelles.

Cut the fillets off four pigeons and remove the skin and minion fillets. Beat the minion fillets lightly, and put them on the other fillets. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over them, arrange them on the bottom of a flat stewpan with some clarified butter, and cover over with a sheet of buttered paper. Cut the meat off the legs of the pigeons, and with that, the trimmings of the fillets and an equal quantity of poultry flesh, prepare some quenelle forcemeat; take up six tablespoonfuls of it, put them on a floured table, and shape each spoonful of it like the fillets of the pigeons. Place them side by side in a buttered sautepan, stand it in the bain-marie and poach them; when done, drain, and leave till cool. Dip the forcemeat fillets in beaten eggs and roll them in breadcrumbs seasoned with sweet herbs. Fry the fillets of pigeons, and at the same time the fillets of forcemeat, in a flat stewpan with a piece of butter. When nicely browned on both sides, drain the fat off the fillets, pour over two tablespoonfuls of melted glaze and one tablespoonful of Madeira, boil and move the pan off the fire. Put the fillets on a hot dish in a circle, alternating them with the fillets of forcemeat, fill the center with a puree of vegetables or chestnuts, pour a little rich, brown gravy over them and serve with a sauceboatful of the same.