Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Crab Apples, Siberian (to preserve ■whole).— Rub the crabs with a piece of flannel till they are quite clean, but do not break the skin. Prick each one with a needle to prevent its bursting with the heat of the syrup. Simmer lialf a dozen cloves and some whole ginger in a breakfast-cupful of water till the flavour is extracted. Strain the liquid, and boil it for ten minutes -with one pound of loaf sugar. Skim it carefully, then put with it a pint of crabs. Let them just boil up, then take off till cold, and repeat this three times. If then they look (juite clear they are done enough, if not, boil tliem once more. Lift the crabs into a jar. I'our the syrup when cold over the fruit, and tic the jar down closely. Time, two or three hours. They are seldom offered for sale. Sufiicient, one pound of fresh fruit for one pint of preserved. Crab Apples, Siberian, Jelly,— The little red Siberian crabs make delicious and beautiful jelly. They should be made in the same way as apple jelly (sec Apple Jelly). Crab, Boiled. — Put some water into a saucepan, and to every quart of water add a table-spoonful of salt. "WTien it boils, put in the crab, previously taking the precaution to tie its claws. Boil briskly for twenty minutes, or longer if the crab is large. When taken out, rub a little sweet-oil on the shell. The flavour of crabs is considered better when they are put into boiling water, besides which, they are sooner killed when the boiling-point has been reached. Probable cost of crabs, from lOd. to 3s. 6d., depending upon the size. Suflicient, a medium- sized crab, for three persons. Crab Butter. —Pick the meat from the claws of a large crab. Bruise it well in a mortar, and mix it with a little fresh butter. Put the mixture into a saucepan with a tablespoonful of water, and let it simmer, gently stirring it all the time. 'Wlien it is on the point of boiling, take it from the fire and press it through a sieve into a basin, which must stand in cold water until the butter is cold. Time, a few minutes to simmer. Probable cost, crabs from lOd. to 3s. 6d., depending upon the size. Sufficient, the flesh from two large claws, for hitlf a pound of butter. Suitable for a breakfast relish. Crab Butter Sauce.— Take half a pint of good melted butter, and stir into it while hot a piece of butter about the size of an egg, prepared as in the last recipe. ^lix well together, and serve. Time, a fev/ minutes. Probable cost, crabs from lOd. to 3s. 6d. each. Suflicient for a small dish of fish. Crab, Curried. — Pound a clove of garlic in a mortal-, with the white part of half a small cocoa-nut, a tiible-spoonful of curry-powder, a salt-spoonful of salt, and a piece of butter about the size of a walnut. When these are beaten to a paste, mix them very smoothly over a gentle fire with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, taking especial care that the saucepan is delicately clean. Add the meat contained in a good-sized crab, and gradually a small cupful of cream. A pound of French beans, cut into thin strips and simmered with the crab, is an improvement to this dish. Just before serving, squeeze over it the juice of a lemon. Serve as usual with rice round the dish. Lobster may be used instead of crab. Time to simmer, ten minutes. Probable cost, 2s. Suflicient for five I or six persons.