Croquettes.—Mince the flesh of a lobster to the size of small dice, season with pepper, salt, spices, and as much cayenne as will rest on the point of a trussing needle. Melt a piece of butter in a saucepan, mix with it 1 tablespoonful flour, then the lobster, and some chopped parsley; moisten with a little stock until the mixture looks like minced veal; then stir into it off the fire 2 yolks of eggs, and put by to get cold. When nearly so, shape into the form of corks, egg them, and roll in baked breadcrumbs. After the lapse of an hour, egg and breadcrumb them again, taking care to preserve the shape. After a little time fry them a nice colour in hot lard.
Croustades.—Cut the crumb of a loaf of bread into slices 2 in. thick, and then with a round paste cutter about 2 in. diameter, cut out of each slice as many pieces as you can; with another paste cutter, about 1½ in. diameter, make a mark on one side of each cylinder of breadcrumb. When all are ready fry them a golden colour in very hot lard; a deep frying-pan should be used, and plenty of lard, so that the croustades fairly swim in the fat. When done lay them in front of the fire to drain, and afterwards remove the cover (marked with the smaller paste cutter), and with the handle of a teaspoon scoop out all the inside of each croustade. Then fill them with the following mixture:—Mince the flesh of a hen lobster to the size of small dice, season with pepper, salt, and spice, and as much cayenne as will rest on the point of a trussing needle. Pound some of the spawn with 1 oz. butter, pass it through a hair sieve. Take another ounce of butter, melt it in a saucepan with a teaspoonful of flour, add a very small quantity of white stock and the flesh of the lobster; when the mixture is thoroughly hot, put in a pinch of finely minced parsley, the juice of half a lemon and the butter which was pounded with the spawn.
Curry.—Lobster curry is made by frying sliced onions in butter till they are done enough. The flesh of a boiled lobster is then added, and the curry powder (made into a paste) is put in with a liberal allowance of cream. 15-20 minutes will cook this dish, which should be carefully stirred all the time. It may be served within a wall of rice, or, better still, with the rice in a separate dish.
Cutlets.—Take out the meat of either a lobster or crab, mince it up, and add 2 oz. butter, browned with 1 tablespoonful flour, and seasoned with a little pepper, salt, and cayenne. Add about ½ pint strong stock, stir the mixture over the fire until quite hot, and lay it in separate tablespoonfuls on a large dish. When cold, form into the shape of cutlets, brush over with yolk of egg (beaten), dip in breadcrumbs, fry of a light-brown colour in clarified beef dripping, and place round a dish, with a little fried parsley in the centre.
Kromeskies.—Mince finely a small quantity of the flesh of lobster, toss it in butter on the fire, adding a pinch of flour, a little white stock, salt, pepper, and spices to taste, and lastly the yolk of an egg beaten up with a little lemon juice; but this should be done off the fire. Spread the mixture on a dish to cool; divide it into portions the size of a walnut; wrap each portion in a piece of white wafer, previously wetted; then dip them in batter, and fry a golden colour in hot lard. Serve piled up on a dish, with fried parsley.
Omelet.—Slice a quantity of the flesh of a lobster, equal in bulk to 2 eggs, season with pepper, salt, and nutmeg; mix on the fire some butter and a little flour, moisten with a little stock, add the lobster, and stir in, off the fire, the yolk of an egg beaten up with the juice of half a lemon. Insert this ragout in the fold of a plain omelet. Turn out on a dish, and serve.
Salad.—Boil 4 eggs hard; when quite cold carefully remove the yolks, beat with a fork, with 2 teaspoonfuls mustard, 1 of salt, 1 of pepper, and a little cayenne; mix well together, add 4 dessertspoonfuls vinegar and 1 of lemon pickle. When quite smooth, add the spawn of the fish and ½ pint cream. Cut up the boiled fish in small pieces, and with an onion nicely minced, stir them into the sauce. Place the lettuce, endive, cress, &c., upon the lobster, garnish with beetroot and slices of whites of egg.
Sandwiches.—Take the flesh of a boiled lobster, cut the thick part into thin slices, put on a plate, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, a little oil and cayenne. Put any trimming of lobster and anchovies, or sardines, into a mortar with 2 oz. fresh butter, salt, pepper, and a little anchovy sauce, pound well together and pass through a sieve. Cut slices of thin bread and butter, place the slices of lobster carefully on them, and spread over each the above butter; put on another piece of bread and butter, flatten each sandwich, and cut into any shape you please. Serve either on a napkin with parsley, or over small cress. Potted lobster can be used for this purpose with greater advantage, and likewise a little cress, chopped, may be put next the slices of lobster. (Jane Burtenshaw.)
Soufflé.—Take out the meat from a small lobster, break it into pieces, and then pound it in a mortar with some of the spawn of a hen lobster, and an equal quantity of butter; add pepper, salt, and spices to taste, with as much cayenne as can be taken up on the point of a trussing needle; slightly pound the rest of the lobster, and put it into some very good veal stock, simmer gently until well flavoured; then strain and add sufficient of this with a little double cream and a dash of lemon juice, to make the mixture of the consistency of thick lobster sauce, stir over the fire until well mixed; then leave to get nearly cold; now add quickly the yolks of 3 or 4 eggs, according to quantity, and lastly the whites whipped to a stiff froth; pour it at once into a soufflé tin, and bake in the oven. Serve immediately.
Stewed.—For stew or ragoût, lobsters should be only half boiled, and then transferred to the stewpan. To concoct a stew, proceed as follows: Half boil a fine lobster, and take out the meat in as large pieces as possible. Put it into a stewpan, with a little white stock, 2 glasses hock, sauterne, or very light sherry, a little beaten mace, cayenne pepper and salt, a spoonful of ketchup, a dash of anchovy sauce, and a little butter rolled in flour. Stew gently for 20 minutes, shaking now and then; squeeze in the juice of a lemon, and serve on a hot dish.