The new century cookery book

cut the meat into dice and put it aside until wanted. Bruise the lobster shells in a mortar ; heat up three ounces of butter in a stewpan, put in a carrot, an onion, two sticks of celery (all sliced), and a small herb bouquet ; fry slightly in the butter for a few minutes, then add the bruised lobster-shell, together with four ounces of fine flour ; moisten with two quarts of fish stock, half a pint of oyster liquor, and half a pint of white wine. Let it simmer for a good half-hour, stir and skim well, strain, finish with two ounces of lobster butter, a little cream, a dessertspoonful of anchovy essence, and a little lemon-juice ; season with salt and cayenne. Have ready about a dozen small white button onions boiled in fish stock ; put these, together with the dice of lobster meat, and six large oysters cut in dice, into a soup-tureen ; pour on the soup and serve. 157. Bisque de Homard à la Parisienne. — 1 lobster, 1 carrot, 1/2 turnip, 4 oz. butter, 1 gilliohite wine, 2 oz. flour, 1 bouquet garni, 2 quarts fisli stock, seasoning teaspoonful lemon-juice, cayenne, peppercorns, and salt), ^ gill cream. Split the lobster down the back, take out the meat, break the claws, pound the shell in a mortar until quite fine, then add the butter, and mix thoroughly with the pounded lobster-shell. Put all in a stewpan and stir over the fire until hot, add the flour, and let cook for ten minutes ; moisten with the wine and stock, add the vegetables, herbs, and peppercorns, stir until it boils, let simmer slowly for twenty minutes. If found too thick, add a little more stock. Pass through a tammy cloth. Cut the meat of the claws of lobster into neat dice, put them in a soup-tureen, together with half a gill of cream. Heat up the bisque, season to taste with salt, a few drops of lemon-juice, and a pinch of cayenne, stir into the tureen and serve. The remainder of lobster meat will come in for cutlets, croquets, or bouchees. 158. Bisque de Pétoncles (Scallop Soup). — 20 scallops, 4 oz. of butter, 1 small onion, 2 oz. flour, 1 bouquet garni, 1 gill of cream, 1^- quarts fish stock, 1 quart of milk, salt and pepper, 2 blades of mace, fried bread croutons, 6 peppercorns. Put the scallops in a stewpan with the fish stock, bouquet garni, half a dozen peppercorns, and the mace. Boil for 20 minutes, strain off the stock, and save for further use ; remove the parsley and herbs (bouquet garni), mace, and peppercorns, and chop the scallops finely. Peel and chop the onion, cover with boiling water, and boil for five minutes ; strain, put them in a stewpan with the butter, and cook until tender. Add the flour, stir well for a few minutes, moisten with the stock, and add the milk (boiling), put in the chopped scallops, stir over the fire until it boils, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne ; rub through a fine sieve ; return to the stewpan, add the cream and a little more milk if found too thick ; give it another boil, pour into a soup-tureen, and serve with fried bread croutons. 159. Bisque aux Huîtres (Oyster Purée).— 2 dozen sauce oysters, 1 oz. butter, 1 shallot, 1 slice of onion, 1 saltspoonful currypowder, 3 pints fish stock {or mutton or veal broth), 1 large tablespoonful cornflour, 2 egg-yolks, | pint cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg.