Take a goose, partridge, turkey and pigeon, and open each down the back. Bone them and flatten them out. Season all well with a mixture of ½oz each mace, black pepper and nutmeg. ¼oz ground cloves and 2 heaped teaspoons salt.

Place each bird, beginning with the smallest into the next in size, finishing with the turkey, so that it looks like one enormous bird. Truss and put into a raised pie crust; fill up any spaces with chopped-up hare or woodcock, and forcemeat. Put 2lb butter on top, cover with a lid of pastry and bake for 4 hours.