—Take one and a half pounds of fresh, shelled, boiled lobster, cut it into two-inch-square, even pieces, lay them in a bowl, then season with a good pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, the third of a pinch of nutmeg, and a tablespoonful of Parisian sauce, and mix all well together. Have six silver skewers, arrange in the centre of one a piece of lobster, then a mushroom, another piece of lobster and another mushroom; continue the same for the other skewers, then place them on the broiler and broil for eight minutes, turning them over carefully once in a while. Remove them from the broiler, dress them on a hot dish, pour a gill of maître d’hôtel butter ([No. 145]) over, decorate with six slices of broiled bacon ([No. 754]), and serve very hot.
362. Lobster en Chevreuse.
—To two finely chopped shallots in a stewpan add one glassful of Madeira wine, one ounce of butter, and a pound and a half of pieces of boiled lobster; moisten with one pint of velouté ([No. 152]), and season with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and a very little nutmeg. Let boil for ten minutes, and with this preparation fill six table-shells, or, better still, six small St. Jacques-shells; on top of each lay three slices of truffle and one tablespoonful of good béchamel ([No. 154]). Put one drop of clarified butter over each, and place them in the oven for five minutes. Serve very hot on a folded napkin.
363. Broiled Lobster à la Ravigote.
—Cut three small, raw lobsters into two equal parts, taking out the gravel from the head, season with one pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper, and rub with a very little oil, then broil the pieces for ten minutes. Take them from the fire, and remove the meat from the head of the lobsters and put it in a salad-bowl with half a pint of ravigote butter ([No. 147]), and mix well together; take the meat from the balance of the lobster, dip it in the sauce, and return it to its shell; warm again for two minutes in the oven, then serve on a folded napkin, garnishing the shells with parsley-greens, and serving the sauce in a sauce-bowl.
364. Broiled Lobster.
—Select three medium-sized, good, live lobsters, split them in halves, and take out the stony pouch and intestines; glaze them slightly with sweet oil, and season them with half a pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper, and then broil them for seven minutes on each side. Place them on a dish, moisten with a gill of good maître d’hôtel ([No. 145]), then serve.
365. Lobster Croquettes.
—Make some lobster forcemeat ([No. 222]); form it into the shape of six pears with the hand, roll them in bread-crumbs ([No. 301]), and fry in very hot fat for three minutes; drain well, then serve on a folded napkin, garnishing with parsley-greens, and add any sauce required in a sauce-bowl.
Salmon croquettes to be prepared the same way, substituting minced, boiled salmon for the lobster forcemeat.