Lobster Croquettes, with Pease.—Boil one-half pint of milk, thicken it with a tablespoonful of flour, and let it become cold. Mince the meat of a one-pound can of lobster, or one pound of fresh lobster; when very fine, add a saltspoonful of salt and half a saltspoonful of white pepper. Moisten the lobster mince with the thickened milk, and work the whole to a paste; add very little bread-crumb if too thin; let it become amalgamated over the range, and place in the ice-box until wanted; then shape it into neat rolls or cones; dip them in egg and crumbs, and fry in plenty of hot fat. Arrange the forms neatly on a dish, put round them a border of pease, and serve.
Lobsters en Brochette.—Instead of boiling the lobster-tails, cut them in pieces, and arrange these on small skewers, alternated with small pieces of bacon; brush melted butter over them, and either broil or bake them; serve with sauce tartare (which see on p. [84]).
Deviled Lobster.—Take two live lobsters, remove the tails, split them in two, and make several incisions in them crosswise. Mix together half a teaspoonful of salt, a saltspoonful each of dry mustard and curry, and half a saltspoonful of white pepper, add a tablespoonful of oil; mix, spread it over the lobsters, and broil them. When done, return to the shells, which should have been kept hot for the purpose; pour a little melted butter over them, and serve.
Stewed Lobster, à la Créole.—Remove the tail part of the meat from three green lobsters; split them in two lengthwise; remove the thread-like intestine. Melt an ounce of butter in a deep frying-pan; add the lobster; toss it for a few minutes in the butter; add salt and pepper and half a pint of hot water; cover, and simmer three-quarters of an hour; drain, and reduce the water one-half by rapid boiling. Put in a saucepan half an ounce of butter and a tablespoonful of minced onion; fry brown, and add three peeled and sliced tomatoes, one sweet pepper, four okra pods cut small, and half a teaspoonful of salt. Allow these to cook fifteen minutes, add the broth, and simmer until reduced to a pulp; rub through a sieve; put this puree on a hot dish, place the lobster on top, add a little lemon-juice, and serve.
Curry of Lobster.—Remove the meat from two boiled lobsters, cut it into neat pieces; take all green fat and coral, and set them aside; mix the green fat with a heaping spoonful of curry-powder. Squeeze out the juice of three limes, and add to it half a teaspoonful of powdered sugar. Put into a frying-pan an ounce of butter; when creamed add a teaspoonful of minced onion browned a little; now add the mixed curry-powder; dissolve a teaspoonful of rice-flour in cold water, add this to a pint of hot water or soup-stock, simmer until thick; now add the lobster, and simmer twenty minutes longer. Wash and dry the coral, separate it. Prepare a border of rice on a dish, and over it sprinkle the coral and eggs (if any); pour the curry in the centre, and serve.
Lobster Salad.—Take two live hen (female) lobsters; boil them thirty minutes; drain. When cold, break them apart; crack the claws, and if the tail-fins are covered with eggs remove them carefully. Take out the sand-pouch found near the head; split the fleshy part of the tail in two lengthwise, remove the small long entrail found therein. Adhering to the body-shell may be found a layer of creamy fat; save this, and also the green fat in the body of the lobster (called tom-alley by New-Englanders), and the coral. If celery is used, tear the lobster into shreds with forks; if lettuce, cut the lobster into half-inch pieces. Place the salad herb in a bowl, add the lobster and the fat, and pour over it a rich mayonnaise; garnish with the claws and heads, tufts of green, hard-boiled eggs, etc. The lobster eggs may be separated, and sprinkled over the mayonnaise. The coral is used for coloring mayonnaise, and also butter, which is then used in decorating salmon and other dark fish used in salads.
THE OYSTER CRAB.
The little crab found in the oyster is not, as commonly supposed by two-thirds of the oyster-eating community to be, the young of the blue crab; but it is a distinct species. It is a messmate of and caterer to the wants of the oyster, being therefore a benefit instead of a detriment to the latter. In return for the oyster’s kindness in protecting it against its enemies, the little crab catches and crushes food which in its entire state could not be taken by the oyster. A singular thing in connection with them is, that all found inside of the oyster are females. The male of the same variety is found in the neighborhood, but its shell is firm.
Oyster-crabs are found at the grocer’s, put up in half-pint bottles, which retail from 60 to 75 cents each. At the markets they are sold at $2.50 per quart.