• 4 young pigeons
• 4 slices of buttered toast without crust
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon of mace
• 4 oz. (120 g.) softened butter
• 2 oz. (30 g.) fine white breadcrumbs

Cut the pigeons in half with a heavy knife along the breast bones, and open and spread out. Spread all over both sides with almost melted butter, and then roll in the crumbs and sprinkle with salt, pepper and ground mace. Reserve some of the butter and crumbs. Place the slices of buttered toast under the wire grill tray and a pigeon on the tray above each, cut side downwards first. Grill under a hot grill for 4 minutes each side, basting occasionally with more butter. Turn, baste again and sprinkle cut side (now uppermost) with remaining crumbs. Grill a further 4 minutes. The toast will have absorbed a great deal of butter, and will be sprinkled with the crisp fallen crumbs. Serve a pigeon on each piece, with the chosen sauce.