Salmon to dry.
Cut the fish down, take out the inside and roe. Rub the whole with common salt, after scaling it; let it hang to drain twenty four hours. Pound three or four ounces of saltpetre, according to the size of the fish, two ounces of bay salt, and two ounces of coarse sugar: rub these, when mixed well, into the Salmon, and lay it on a large dish or tray two days, then rub it well with common salt, and in twenty four hours more it will be fit to dry: but you must dry it well after draining. Either hang in a wood chimney, or in a dry place, keeping it open with two small sticks.
Lobsters to pot.
Boil them half, pick out the meat, cut into small bits: season with mace, white pepper, nutmeg, and salt: press close into a pot and cover with butter: bake half an hour: put the spawn in. When cold, take the lobster out, and with a little of the butter put it into the pots. Beat the other butter in a mortar with some of the spawn; then mix that coloured butter with as much as will be sufficient to cover the pots, and strain it. Cayenne may be added, if approved.
Another way, as at Wood’s Hotel.
Take out the meat as whole as you can; split the tail and remove the gut; if the inside be not watery, add that. Season with mace, nutmeg, white pepper, salt, and a clove or two, in finest powder. Lay a little fine butter at the bottom of a pan, and the lobster smooth over it, with bayleaves between: cover it with butter and bake it gently. When done, pour the whole on the bottom of a sieve, and with a fork lay the pieces into potting pots, some of each sort with the seasoning about it. When cold, pour clarified butter over, but not hot. It will be good next day; or highly seasoned, and thick covered with butter, will keep some time.
The potted lobster may be used cold, or as a fricassee, with a cream sauce, when it looks very nicely, and eats excellently, especially if there be spawn.
Mackerel, herrings, and trout, are good potted as above.
Stewed Lobster, as a very high Relish.
Pick the lobster, put the berries into a dish that has a lamp, and rub them down with a bit of butter, two spoonfuls of any sort of gravy, one of soy or walnut catsup, a little salt and Cayenne, and a spoonful of port. Stew the lobster cut in bits with the gravy as above. It must be dressed at table, and eaten immediately.