Page:The White House Cook Book.djvu/87

 SHELL-FISH. 69

the tail is narrower, and the two uppermost fins within the tail ar stiff and hard. Those of the hen lobster are not so, and the tail is broader.

Hen lobsters are preferred for sauce or salad, on account of their coral. The head and small claws are never used.

They should be alive and freshly caught when put into the boiling kettle. After being cooked and cooled, split open the body and tail and crack the claws, to extract the meat. The sand pouch found near the throat should be removed. Care should be exercised that none of the feathery, tough, gill-like particles found under the body shell get mixed with the meat, as they are indigestible and have caused much trouble. They are supposed to be the cause of so-called poisoning from eating lobster.

Serve on a platter. Lettuce and other concomitants of a salad should also be placed on the table or platter.

SCALLOPED LOBSTETl.

BUTTER a deep dish and cover the bottom with fine bread crumbs ; put on this a layer of chopped lobster, with pepper and salt ; so on, alternately, until the dish is filled, having crumbs on top. Put on bits of butter, moisten with milk and bake about twenty minutes,

DEVILED LOBSTER.

TAKE out all the meat from a boiled lobster, reserving the coral ; season highly with mustard, cayenne, salt and some kind of table sauce ; stew until well mixed and put it in a covered saucepan, with just enough hot water to keep from burning; rub the coral smooth, moistening with vinegar until it is thin enough to pour easily, then stir it into the saucepan. The dressing should be prepared before the meat is put on the fire, and which ought to boil but once before the coral is put in ; stir in a heaping teaspoonf ul of butter, and when it boils again it is done and should be taken up at once, as too much cooking toughens the meat.

LOBSTER CROQUETTES.

TAKE any of the lobster remaining from table and pound it until the dark, light meat and coral are well mixed ; put with it not quite as much fine bread crumbs ; season with pepper, salt and a very little

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