Take four pigeons, and pick and clean them very nicely. Season them
with pepper and salt, and put inside of every one a large piece of
butter and the yolk of a hard-boiled egg. Have ready a good paste,
allowing a pound of butter to two pounds of sifted flour. Roll it out
rather thick, and line with it the bottom and sides of a large deep
dish. Put in the pigeons, and lay on the top some bits of butter rolled
in flour. Pour in nearly enough of water to fill the dish. Cover the
pie with a lid of paste rolled out thick, and nicely notched, and
ornamented with paste leaves and flowers.
You may make a similar pie of pheasants, partridges, or grouse.
In preparing pigeons, &c. for pies, loosen the joints with a knife, as
in carving.