Cookery for every household

To serve, stand the head upright on a dish, and arrange the cracked claws and split tail round. Garnish with fresh parsley or salad, and serve accompanied with oil and vinegar. To Extract the Meat from a Lobster Allow the lobster to cool after boiling. Twist off the claws, crack the large claws, and pick out all the meat ; the small claws are only used for garnishing. Split the body lengthwise from head to tail, using a strong knife and hammer if necessary. Remove the intestine, which looks like a small vein, running through the back of the tail, the stomach or lady, which lies near the head, and the spongy-looking fingers or gills. These three are the only parts which are not good. Take out all the meat from the body, also the greenish-looking liver, which can all be used. The coral, and spawn if there is any, are sometimes put aside for decorative purposes. The lobster meat can then be chopped or left in pieces according to the purpose for which it is to be used. 305. Lobster, Baked 1 lobster. 2 table-sps. white sauce. 1 tea-sp. chopped parsley 1 tea-sp. anchovy essence. 2 table-sps. white breadcrumbs. (Homard au Gratin) 1 yolk of egg. Grated lemon rind. Asqueeze of lemon juice. Salt, pepper. 1 table-sp. browned crumbs. A little butter. Boil the lobster and cut the shell in half lengthwise, leaving on the head. Remove all the meat (see above) and chop it in small pieces, being careful to keep back any pieces of shell. Put the chopped meat into a saucepan with the white sauce, parsley, and white bread-crumbs. Mix well and season to taste with pepper, salt, lemon rind and juice, and a little anchovy essence. Add the yolk of egg last of all and make all thoroughly hot over the fire. Have the two parts of the shell washed and dried, grease them outside and inside with salad oil or melted butter, and fill up with the mixture. Sprinkle browned bread-crumbs over the top, lay on some small pieces of butter, and bake in a moderate oven from 15 to 20 minutes. Serve Baked Lobster hot, garnished with parsley and small slices of lemon. Note. — This dish may be made with tinned lobster, a fireproof dish being used instead of the lobster shell. Time to bake, about 20 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. 306. Broiled Lobster Kill the lobster (see p. 107) and cut it in halves lengthwise. Remove the intestines and place the pieces on a well-greased broiler, with the cut side uppermost. Cook over a clear fire about 10 minutes, then baste the flesh with a little melted butter, and turn the pieces over. Cook again about 10 minutes, when the lobster should be sufficiently cooked. Season with pepper and salt, crack the claws and arrange the pieces neatly on a very hot dish. Serve melted butter (Recipe 691) separately. Note.— Small or medium-sized lobsters are best for broiling. 307. Roast Lobster Prepare the lobster in the same way as for broiling, and place it on a roasting tin with tho flesh side uppermost. Cook it in a good oven from 20 to 30 minutes according to size, and baste it frequently with oil or melted butter. Season it with pepper and salt, crack the big claws before serving, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. 308. Lobster Cream, Hot (Creme de Homard) 1 small lobster. 2 oz. bread-crumbs. 1 oz. butter. 1 gill milk or fish stock. 1 gill double cream. Pepper, salt. A squeeze of lemon juice. 1 white of egg.