Pigeons, Duchess

Red wine-marinated pigeon quarters stewed slowly in broth and served with gravy.

Clean the pigeons, cut them into quarters, pour boiling water over the claws, and when sufficiently soaked trim off the skin and nails. Sprinkle over them a little black pepper and allspice, rubbing it in slightly with the hand; lay them in a basin, pour some red wine over them, cover and leave them for several hours or over night. Then put them with the wine into a stewpan, pour in enough brown stock to cover, and boil them for an hour over a slow fire. When well cooked drain and pound their livers in a mortar. Boil the cooking stock quickly till reduced to half its original quantity, then mix with it the pounded livers and one tablespoonful of desiccated cocoanut. Arrange the wings and claws of the birds together to form a center piece for the dish, putting a piece of watercress in each claw. Put it in the middle of a hot dish, lay the quarters of birds round it, putting between each quarter a small roll of fried bacon, pour round the thickened gravy, garnish the edge of the dish with a fringe of watercress, on which lay quarters of lemon, and serve.