Ingredients

4 pigeons
8 dates, roughly chopped
4 rashers of streaky bacon
Salt and pepper
1pt/600ml home-made beef stock
4oz/100g cranberries
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
4oz/100g butter
2 sprigs thyme and rosemary
2oz/50g fine wholemeal breadcrumbs
2 blades of mace
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons raisins
Verjuice made with one lemon
2 tablespoons capers 
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Roll up the rashers of bacon and insert one inside each pigeon.  Put the birds into a saucepan large enough for them all to sit on the bottom.  Pour over the stock – it ought to almost cover them – and add the herbs, mace, raisins, capers and dates.  Bring slowly to the boil, then season to taste, cover and simmer for about an hour.  After 40 minutes, add the cranberries and half of the butter.

Melt the rest of the butter in a small saucepan, then take it off the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, egg yolks and the verjuice, in that order.

When the pigeons are cooked, pour a ladleful of the cooking broth into the breadcrumb liaison and mix thoroughly.  Gradually stir this mixture back into the cooking liquid – you should end up with a rich, but fairly runny sauce.  Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, add the nutmeg and transfer the whole lot to a warmed casserole for serving.

Or, if you have a cast-iron casserole of the Le Creuset type, which can be used on top of the stove, cook it and serve it in that.  The pigeons should be produced from a steaming vat, exuding fascinating and irresistible perfumes, to the wonder of the waiting diners.

Serves 4.