—Clean eighteen smelts, wipe them very dry, and put them on a baking-dish with two tablespoonfuls of cooked fine herbs ([No. 143]), half a glassful of white wine, half a pinch of salt, and a third of a pinch of pepper. Cover with six whole mushrooms and half a pint of Espagnole sauce ([No. 151]). Besprinkle lightly with fresh bread-crumbs and six drops of melted butter; place it in a hot oven for ten minutes, and serve with the juice of half a lemon, also a teaspoonful of chopped parsley sprinkled over. (The smelts can be boned if so desired).
357. Lobster à l’Américaine.
—Split two fine, good-sized, freshly boiled lobsters; remove all the meat carefully, then cut it up into pieces one inch in length. Have a pan on the hot range with half a gill of good olive oil, and when the oil is very hot add the pieces of lobster. Chop very fine one medium-sized, peeled onion, one fine, sound, green pepper, and half a clove of peeled, very sound garlic; add all to the lobster, and let cook for five minutes, gently mixing meanwhile. Season with a pinch of salt and half a saltspoonful of red pepper, adding also half a wine-glassful of good white wine. Reduce for two minutes, then add one gill of tomato sauce ([No. 205]) and one medium-sized, sound, red, peeled tomato, cut into small dice-shaped pieces. Cook for ten minutes longer, gently shuffling meanwhile. Pour the whole into a very hot, deep dish, or in a hot tureen, and serve.
358. Lobster with Curry.
—Pick out all the meat from two good-sized, fine, freshly boiled, and split lobsters. Cut the meat up in one-inch-length equal pieces. Have a saucepan on the hot range with an ounce of very good butter; add the lobster to it, and let cook for five minutes. Season with one pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper. Place in a bowl one tablespoonful of Indian curry, with half a wine-glassful of good white wine, mix well together, then pour it into the lobster. Cook for two minutes. Add two gills of hot Allemande sauce ([No. 210]), shuffle briskly for one minute longer. Make a border of fresh-boiled rice all around the hot dish; dress the lobster right in the centre of the dish, and serve hot.
359. Lobster à la Newburg.
—Split two good-sized, fine, freshly boiled lobsters. Pick all the meat out from the shells, then cut it into one-inch-length equal pieces. Place it in a saucepan on the hot range with one ounce of very good, fresh butter. Season with one pinch of salt and half a saltspoonful of red pepper, adding two medium-sized, sound truffles cut into small dice-shaped pieces. Cook for five minutes; then add a wine-glassful of good Madeira wine. Reduce to one-half, which will take three minutes. Have three egg yolks in a bowl with half a pint of sweet cream, beat well together, and add it to the lobster. Gently shuffle for two minutes longer, or until it thickens well. Pour it into a hot tureen, and serve hot.
360. Lobster à la Bordelaise.
—Add to one glassful of red wine in a stewpan one chopped shallot, and half of a small carrot cut into exceedingly small pieces. Boil for five minutes, and then put in pieces of boiled lobster, the same quantity as for the above—about a pound and a half—a pinch of salt, a third of a pinch of pepper and a very little nutmeg, also half a pint of velouté ([No. 152]). Stew well together for five minutes, then serve.