Original White House Cookbook

SCALLOPED GEABS. Put the crabs into a kettle of boiling water, and throw in a handful of salt. Boil from twenty minutes to half an hour. Take them from the water when done and pick out all the meat; be careful not to break the shell. To a pint of meat put a little salt and pepper; taste, and if not enough add more, a little at a time, till suited. Grate in a very little nutmeg and add one spoonful of cracker or bread crumbs, two eggs well beaten, and two tablespoonfuls of butter (even full); stir all well together; wash the shells clean, and fill each shell full of the mixture; sprinkle crumbs over the top and moisten with the liquor; set in the oven till of a nice brown; a few minutes will do it. Send to the table hot, arranged on large dishes. They are eaten at breakfast or supper. FISH IN WHITE SAUCE. Flake up cold boiled halibut and set the plate into the steamer, that the fish may heat without drying. Boil the bones and skin of the fish with a slice of onion and a very small piece of red pepper ; a bit of this the size of a kernel of coffee will make the sauce quite as hot as most persons like it. Boil this stock down to half a pint ; thicken with one teaspoonful of butter and one teaspoonful of flour, mixed together. Add one drop of extract of almond. Pour this sauce over your halibut and stick bits of parsley over it. FRESH STURGEON STEAK MARINADE. Take one slice of sturgeon two inches thick ; let it stand in hot water five minutes ; drain, put it in a bowl and add a gill of vinegar, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, a saltspoonful of black pepper and the juice of half a lemon ; let it stand six hours, turning it occasionally ; drain and dry on a napkin ; dip it in egg ; roll in bread crumbs and fry, or rather boil, in very hot fat. Beat up the yolks of two raw eggs, add a teaspoonful of French mustard, and, by degrees, half of the marinade, to make a smooth sauce, which serve with the fish. POTTED FISH. Take out the backbone of the fish ; for one weighing two pounds take a tablespoonful of allspice and cloves mixed ; these spices should be put into little bags of not too thick muslin ; put sufficient salt directly upon each fish ; then roll in a cloth, over which sprinkle a little cayenne pepper ; put alternate layers of fish, spice and sage in an earthen jar ; cover with the best cider vinegar ; cover the jar closely with a plate, and over this put a covering of dough, rolled out to twice the thickness of pie crust. Make the edges of paste, to adhere closely to the sides of the jar, so as to make it air tight. Put the jar into a pot of cold water and let it boil from three to five hours, according to quantity. Ready when cold. MAYONNAISE FISH.