Roasted Pigeons Stuffed with Chestnuts

Chestnut and bacon stuffed pigeons in a lemon, nutmeg and giblet gravy.

Singe and draw two pigeons and truss them as for roasting. Boil one-half pint of chestnuts, and when tender peel and pound them in a mortar with the same quantity of finely-chopped bacon. Stuff the pigeons with the chestnut mixture, put a vine leaf on each breast and bind them round with a thin slice of fat bacon; then roast them in a hot oven for half an hour. Chop fine the livers and mix them with a sprig of chopped parsley, a tablespoonful each of sauce and gravy, a lump of butter, a piece of grated lemon peel; add a little grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir the mixture over the fire for a few minutes. Put the birds on a hot dish, and serve them with the sauce.