40. Have a large pot of water strongly salted, let it boil hard, put in your crabs and boil them for twenty minutes. If the water should cease boiling the crabs will be watery. Take them out, break off the claws, wipe the shells very clean, also the large claws.
When cold, place them on a dish with the large claws around it. The claws should be cracked before they are sent to the table. The small ones are not generally eaten.
SOFT CRABS.
41. Prepare your crabs by removing the spongy part, and sand bag. Wipe them very clean and fry them in some hot lard and butter mixed. When they are a fine yellow brown on both sides, place them on a dish and send them to the table hot.
BOILED LOBSTER.
42. Lobsters, as well as crabs, should be boiled in strong salt and water. Have your pot of water boiling hard, put in your lobsters and boil them for half an hour, or if they are very large, a little longer. Take them out of the pot and when they have drained, open them, extract the meat carefully, and send it to the table cold.
Lobster is usually dressed at the table with mustard, hard boiled eggs, cayenne pepper, salt, vinegar and oil.
LOBSTER SALAD.
43. One large lobster,
Three table spoonsful of French mustard, or,
Two dessert spoonsful of common mixed mustard,
One gill and a half of vinegar,
One gill and a half of sweet oil,
The yelks of five hard boiled eggs,
Salt to the taste,
A small tea spoonful of cayenne pepper,
The inside leaves of two heads of cabbage lettuce.
Cut the meat and lettuce in small pieces. Boil the eggs hard, mash the yelks with a wooden or silver spoon, and oil enough to make them to a smooth paste, then add the vinegar, mustard, pepper, and salt to the taste. Mix this dressing thoroughly with the lobster and lettuce, and serve it before the salad becomes wilted.