188 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



Squab Pie 



Clean well, inside and out, one-half dozen squabs and split 

 them in half; put them in a saucepan with about two quarts 

 of water; when it boils, skim off all scum that arises; then add 

 salt and pepper, a bunch of minced parsley, one onion chopped 

 fine, and three whole cloves. Cut up half a pound of salt pork 

 into dice, and let all boil until tender, using care that there be 

 enough water to cover the birds. Thicken this with' two table- 

 spoons of browned flour and let it boil up. Stir in a piece of 

 butter as large as an egg; remove from the fire and let cool. 

 Have ready a pint of potatoes cut as small as dice, and a rich 

 crust made. Line the sides of a buttered baking-dish with the 

 crust; lay in the birds, then some of the potatoes, then birds 

 and so on, until the dish is full. Pour over the gravy, put on 

 the top crust, with a slit cut in, the center, and bake. The top 

 can be ornamented with pastry leaves in a wreath about the 

 edge, with any fancy design placed in the center across the slit. 



Old Pigeon Pie 



Take half a dozen pigeons; stuff each one with dressing, the 

 same as for turkey; loosen the joints with a knife but do not 

 separate them. Put them in a stewpan with water enough to 

 cover; let them cook until nearly tender, then season with salt 

 and pepper and butter. Thicken the gravy with flour; remove 

 and cool. Butter a baking-dish, line the sides with a rich crust. 

 Have ready some hard boiled eggs, cut in slices. Put in a layer 

 of egg and birds and gravy until the dish is full. Cover with 

 a crust and bake. 



There are many other ways squabs can be cooked, such as 

 squab croquettes, cold squab loaf, squab a la King, etc., but there 

 is no way as simple and convenient as frying them and, if prop- 

 erly fried they are hard to beat. 



EDUCATING THE CUSTOMER TO GOOD SQUABS 

 AND PRICES 



Eating squabs in America is a comparatively new thing, and 

 the sale and consumption of large squabs particularly fitted 

 for the table is newer still. There are many people throughout 



