and let them lie till next day, when lay them in oblong pots and cover them with clarified butter; bake them in a slow oven, and when done enough pour off the butter, and drain effectually, and let them remain twelve hours. Now warm up the butter again in a water bath, and running it through a warmed sieve, pour the clear again over the fish, adding more clarified butter to cover well. Tie bladder over and keep dry.
POTTED LOBSTERS.
Take a couple of fine lobsters, place them in a tub with plenty of weak salt and water, and brush them well from froth and slime, then wash in pure water and pop them into boiling water in which some salt and saltpetre have been dissolved. When done lay them on a sieve to get cold, and next day cut open the shells, crack the claws and take out the meat, which then pick over carefully from skins and specks, the coral also must be separated and examined. Now cut the meat into dice and pound it finely in a mortar, till of a nice smooth consistence, adding clarified butter at pleasure. Then season with
| Mace, in fine powder | ¾ | oz. |
| Nutmeg, in fine powder | 1 | oz. |
| Bay leaf, in fine powder | 1 | oz. |
| White pepper, in fine powder | 1 | oz. |
| Cloves, in fine powder | ¾ | oz. |
and working the paste well proceed to fill white pots, and putting a part of the coral into the middle of each pot. Press well in and set aside for the night. Put the pots next into a slow oven, and let the steam escape that might arise, and when you have got them as dry as it is possible, without changing the colour of the preparation, set them by to go cold; then cover with clarified butter effectually and writing paper over the tops of the pots.
POTTED CRABS.
To meet with well potted crabs is a very rare occurrence, and, speaking generally, is attributable to the carelessness of the preparer. Crabs are very often out of season, that is, cannot be got without great trouble and expense, and they are very much liked; these admissions furnish reasons why we should have some well preserved. Take half a dozen eastern coast crabs—those of Hartlepool and neighbourhood are always sound and well flavoured, while those on the western coast and about Ireland are little worth—plug up all the holes with wooden pegs, throw them into a tubful of salt and water and brush them thoroughly, then wash in pure water and put them into boiling water to be cooked; then take them up and lay them to get cold; pull off the claws and put the large shells into a slow oven after having run off any water that may have collected in them, and when no more steam arises from the slow drying, set them also to get cold. Take all the meat out of the claws, pick out very carefully all the little skins and strings, cut it into dice and pound it in a mortar with clarified butter until of a nice plastic mass, which cover up in a cloth. Now attack the body shells, pick out all the solid meat, and, setting the coral aside, throw out all the skins and refuse you can find, and beat up this also with best Durham mustard, as for the table, some cayenne, chillie vinegar, and table salt. Place some of this at the bottom of each pot, and having ready this seasoning, mix what is requisite with the meat from the claws:
| Mace | 1 | oz. |
| Cloves | 1½ | oz. |
| Nutmeg | 1 | oz. |
| Bay leaf | 1 | oz. |
| Table salt | 6 | oz. |
| White pepper | 2 | oz. |
Work this well into the mass, and having put a portion of the hard coral into each pot, fill up with the seasoned claw meat. Set the pots in a slow oven to evaporate what moisture you can, then set aside and when cold pour clarified butter plentifully over, which, when cold, must again be covered with writing paper. If your ingredients were genuine, your butter sweet, and well managed, and the fish of prime quality, you will have a choice or rare preparation of these generally admired fish.
SIDE OF VENISON COLLARED.