The Swedish, French, American cook book

Wash crabs; put in hot water; cook about eighteen minutes with salt; leave in the water until cold; when opening them, first remove the tail, large and small claws, and top shell; rinse; remove all the meat carefully, free from shells. To two cups crab meat take threequarters cup fish mousse. Wash and clean the shells well; fill them; decorate all around with some of the mousse colored with chopped parsley, and a dot in the centre; decorate with truffles; put in oven in a pan with some water — covered; cook from eight to ten minutes. Arrange on a paper doily; garnish with crab claws and parsley and serve a hollandaise sauce at the side. Fish entree for luncheon or dinner. SOFT-SHELL CRABS ( Crabes moux ) Soft-shell crabs are a delicious shellfish, generally prepared by frying or broiling. The season is from May to October. Broiled Soft-Shell Crabs a la Bearnaise Crabes moux, grilles, a la Bearnaise Select nice live crabs; remove the tail and fluffy part that lies under the shell; cut part of the head off and take out the sand bag. Leave on a clean linen cloth to dry; put in a griddle iron (if gas stove, put on a pan) to broil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. When broiled on one side, turn over and broil on the other side, being careful not to burn. Serve one resting on top of the other, with the claws up, garnish with quarters of tomatoes or lemon filled with bearnaise sauce. Fried Soft-Shell Crabs a la Tartare Crabes moux frits, a la Tartare Select live crabs, remove the tail and the fluffy part that lies under the shell; cut part of the head off and take out the sand bag. Leave on a clean linen cloth to dry; dip in egg and fresh bread crumbs and fry in hot fat. Garnish with lemon and parsley. Serve with cucumber salad. Tartare or bearnaise sauce can also be served. OYSTERS ( Huitres ) Oysters are among the most important of shellfish. They are used a good deal — generally served raw on the half shell — as appetizersetizers for luncheon or dinner, but are also cooked and prepared in many different ways. The season for oysters is September until May 1st. Oysters in Pastry ( Huitres en Patisserie ) a la Ravigote Two oysters for each person, with half an oyster shell and some ravigote sauce. Select large flat oyster shells; wash well, clean from sand and dirt; fill with beans and form a cover of puff paste; on the top decorate with a twisted strip of pastry, lengthwise — - fasten it well to the oyster shell so that it does not shrink; put in oven and bake; brush over with some egg and put in oven again. When baked, remove pastry from shells, and then the beans; wash shells; put them in oven so that they are hot when ready to serve. Put two oysters on each shell with a spoon of ravigote sauce; put in hot oven for about five minutes; then take out and arrange on a platter on a napkin or paper doily, the wide end out and point in. Put the pastry cover on each that has been heated on a baking sheet in the oven and garnish with lemon. Serve as a fish for dinner or luncheon. Oysters ( Huitres ) a la Poulette