Boston Cooking-School cook book

Japanese Crab Meat is sold in cans. Remove stiff tendons before using. Oyster Crabs live in the oyster shell and are very small. They are eaten whole. To Clean a Crab. Lift and fold back the tapering points which are found on each side of the back shell and remove spongy substance that lies under them. Turn crab on its back, and with a pointed knife remove the small piece at lower part of shell, which. terminates in a point; this is called the apron. SAUTEED CRABS A LA MEUNIERE Clean crabs, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Sauté in butter. Pour butter over crabs. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. FRIED SOFT-SHELL CRABS Clean crabs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs, fry in deep fat (375° F.), and drain. Being light, they will rise to top of fat, and should be turned while frying. Serve with Tartare Sauce (p. 207). CREAMED CRAB MEAT Heat 1 cup crab meat in 1 cup White Sauce or Cream Sauce. Serve on toast or in patty cases. Serves 4. With Mushrooms. Add 1% cup sliced mushrooms. Cook 10 minutes over hot water. Crab Meat au Gratin. Put in baking dish or ramekins, cover with 14 cup buttered crumbs, and bake until crumbs are a delicate brown. FRIED OYSTER CRABS Wash and drain crabs. Roll in flour and shake in sieve to remove superfluous flour. Fry in a basket in deep fat (395° F.). Drain, garnish with parsley and slices of lemon. Serve with Sauce Tyrolienne (p. 207). CREAMED OYSTER CRABS Cook a few at a time, in small amount of boiling water, with 1 sprig of parsley, bit of butter, 1 clove, bit of bay leaf, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 4 teaspoon salt. When they whiten, remove and serve in Savory Cream Sauce (p. 191). OYSTER CRABS IN FRESH BUTTER Sauté 1 cup oyster crabs in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 5 or 6 minutes. Serve as a fish course in a formal dinner. LOBSTER To Select Lobsters. Lobsters are largest and most abundant from June to September but are obtainable throughout the year. Buy green or boiled. In selecting a boiled lobster, see that it is heavy in proportion to its size. Straighten the tail and if it springs back into place, the lobster was alive (as it should have been) when put into the pot for boiling. There is a greater shrinkage in lobster than in any other fish. To Boil Lobsters. Have ready a large kettle containing vigorously boiling water, adding 14 cup rock salt to each quart of water. Put in live lobsters, tail end down, one at a time, having the water come to the boiling point after adding each. Lobsters should be entirely covered by water. Cover and boil 20 minutes. Place on backs to cool. To Open Lobsters and Remove Meat. Take off large claws, small claws, and separate tail from body. Tail meat may sometimes be drawn out whole with a fork; more often it is necessary to cut the thin shell portion (using scissors or a can opener) in under part of the tail; then the tail meat may always be removed whole. Separate tail meat through center and remove the small intestinal vein which runs its entire length; although generally darker than the meat, it is sometimes found of the same color. Hold body shell firmly in left hand, and with first two fingers and thumb of right hand draw out the body, leaving in shell the stomach (known as the Jady), which is not edible, and also some of the green part, the liver. The liver may be removed by shaking the shell. The coral, a red spongy substance sometimes found in female lobsters,