The new century cookery book

Split the lobster in half, take out all the meat and chop finely. Put the butter in a small stewpan, add the shallots and fry them a golden colour, put in the lobster meat, stir well for a few minutes, then add the sauce ;■ when thoroughly hot put in one yolk of egg, and cook for another minute or two, remove the pan from the fire, season the contents with salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne, and turn on to a buttered dish to cool. Strew some bread-crumbs on a pasteboard, divide the lobster mixture into pieces about the size of a small egg, and give each the shape of a cutlet. Beat up the egg, dip each cutlet into this, cover well with bread-crumbs, shape again, smoothing each cutlet over with the blade of a knife. Place them in a frying-basket, and fry a light- brown colour in plenty of hot fat or lard. Drain on paper or a cloth, insert a small piece of a lobster leg into the small end of each cutlet, dish up in a circle on a folded napkin or lace paper on a hot dish, put a little fried parsley in the centre thereof, and send to table with a boat of hot tomato sauce. Lobster croquettes are made in the same manner, but shaped into corks or balls, and should be somewhat smaller than cutlets. 597. Homard farci au Gratin. — Procure a good-sized boiled lobster and cut it in two (lengthwise). Remove the meat and scrape the shells clean. Reserve the spawn, if there is any, to make a sauce (au beurre d’ecrevisse). Break also the claws, &c., and remove the meat. Cut the nicest pieces into neat slices, and mince the rest rather finely. Have two or three chopped shallots, fry them a golden colour in 1^ oz. butter ; add the lobster meat, also a good tablespoonful of bechamel sauce (No. 203), and one of cream; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg ; add also one dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, two sprigs of chopped tarragon, and the juice of half a lemon. Stir over the fire until thoroughly hot, then add a well-beaten egg, and stir long enough until the eggs begin to bind. Fill up the shells, sprinkle with fried bread-crumbs, put a few drops of melted butter over the surface, and bake for ten minutes in a moderate oven. Dish up, place a handful of fried parsley in the centre, stick a few lobster sprays here and there, and serve with a small boat of sauce Danoise (No. 213), or any other similar sauce. 598. Coquilles de Homard à la Gauloise. — 1 hen lobster (boiled), 1 whiting, 4 oz. butter, 4 oz.panade, 2 whole eggs and 1 yolk, 1 teaspoonful anchovy paste, 1 truffle, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne. Cardinal sauce (No. 218).