The encyclopaedia of practical cookery

(3) Take out the flesh from the tails of two large or three small boiled Lobsters, cut them in halves, put them in a small dish together with the underneath part of the bodies, For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, dec., referred to, see under their special heads. Lobster — continued. each cut into quarters and the uneatable parts removed, and add the flesh from the claws. Pound the spawn in a mortar, put it with the shells into a small saucepan containing water, vinegar, salt, pepper, and pounded mace, and boil until all the goodness is extracted. Thicken with a liaison of flour and butter, boil up for a minute or two, then strain into a pie-dish ; sprinkle over with breadcrumbs, put a flat of paste over all, and bake slowly, taking out the pie when the paste is cooked. Lobster Pie with Oysters. — Pick out the meat from two large boiled Lobsters, and cut it into moderate-sized pieces. Line the edge of a buttered pie-dish with puff paste, then put in, first a layer of Lobster, and then a layer of oysters, sprinkling breadcrumbs in at the same time ; continue in this way till the dish is full, putting here and there small pieces of butter, and a little pepper and salt. Put the spawn of the Lobster in a mortar, pound finely, and mix with it a little butter and some breadcrumbs ; shape into small balls, fry in boiling butter, then put them in the pie. In the meantime the shells of the Lobsters should have been boiled in 1 pint of water together with a little pepper and salt ; strain, add the oyster liquor to it, thicken a little, and pour into the pie. Cover with a flat of puff paste, glaze it with beaten egg, and bake in a moderate oven till the crust is done. Stand the pie on a folded cloth, arrange the heads and small claws on the pie (see Fig. 1093), and oyster shells round. Serve either hot or cold. Lobster Pilau.— (1) Put the trimmings of any large fish into a boiler with eight or ten full-grown, well- washed Lobsters and a seasoning of onions, sliced ginger, peppercorns, twelve bay-leaves, salt, and 1 table-spoonful of coriander-seeds. Pour over sufficient water to cover, and boil on a slow fire until all are quite done. Put Jib. of fat into a saucepan, boil it, add ten or twelve onions cut in slices, cook them, browning slightly, remove the onions, add 1 breakfastcupful of rice to the fat, cook until the latter is absorbed, add a few cloves, five cardamoms, two blades of mace, 2 or 3 teaspoonfuls of salt, and six small sticks of cinnamon. Pour over sufficient of the fish liquor to cover, place the lid on the pan, and cook slowly until the whole of the liquor is absorbed, tossing the pan every now and then to prevent burning. Turn this out on to a dish, garnish with the Lobsters removed from their shells, strew over the fried onions, and serve. (2) Pick the meat carefully out of the tails of some boiled Lobsters, cut it into scallops, and warm them in a buttered saute-pan. Arrange a double row of the scallops on a hot dish in a circle, fill the centre with boiled rice, sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper, and pour some thin Spanish sauce over. Mix a little curry powder with some thin veloute sauce, stir over the fire till reduced, strain it through a fine hair sieve into a sauceboat, and serve with the Lobster.