The Cook Book, by "Oscar" of the Waldorf

Add to one wineglassful of red wine in a stewpan one chopped shallot and half of a small carrot, cut into exceedingly small pieces. Boil for five minutes, put in the meat from two boiled lobsters, cut into pieces, which should weigh about one and one-half pounds, one pinch of salt, one-third pinch of pepper, and a very little nutmeg, and finally one-half pint of veloute sauce. Stew well together for five minutes and serve very hot. Lobster Vol-au-Vent. Rub together four tablespoonfuls of butter and one and one-half tablespoonfuls of flour. Pour on this by degrees one pint of boiling white stock, boil up, and add the juice of half a lemon, a little salt, a few grains of cayenne, the yolks of two eggs beaten in a little cold water, and the meat of two small lobsters cut into dice. Stir over the fire for one minute, fill a vol-au-vent case, place the cover on and serve. Fried Mussels. Pick some mussels out of their shells : remove their beards, dip them in milk, cover with breadcrumbs well seasoned with salt and pepper, and fry in a fryingpan until they are of a light brown color, place them on a dish in a warm place, pour a little of their liquor in a pan, add a little pepper and salt, if required, and sprinkle in a few breadcrumbs, and then add a little butter. When it is quite hot pour it over io6 SHELLFISH. the mussels and serve at once. The mussels may be previously pickled, but it is not necessary. Mussels in Shells. Procure some small mussels, they being the nxost delicate, scrape the shells and wash them in several waters, to remove all the grit. Put the mussels in a stewpan with one sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, and one pint of French white wine ; season with pepper and salt, stand the pan over the fire till the shells open, when the mussels will be done. Take them cut of their shells, clean thoroughly, and cut them into halves ; strain the cooking liquor of the mussels into another saucepan, mix with it an equal quantity of veloute sauce, and boil until reduced to about half of its original quantity. Thicken the sauce with a lump of butter or a liaison of two yolks of eggs, stirring by the side of the fire and not allowing it to boil after the eggs are added ; put the mussels in the sauce with one tablespoonful of chopped parsley. Fill some silver shells with the above mixture, cover with finely grated breadcrumbs, put a small bit of butter on the top of each, and brown in the oven ; when cooked, arrange the shells on an ornamental dish paper or a folded napkin that has been placed on a hot dish, garnish with neat sprigs of fried parsley, arranging it here and there between the shells, and serve. Mussels, Matelote. Wash and clean some mussels, put them into a saucepan over a clear fire, and toss or hustle them until the shells open. Turn the mussels into a colander placed over a pan, so as to save all their liquor, and remove the half shells, beards, etc. ; put two tablcspoonfuls of chopped shallots and a clove of garlic into a saucepan with a little butter, and fry without letting them take color ; put in the mussels, pour over one wineglassful of wine and the mussel liquor, place the pan over the fire, boil for a few minutes, thicken with a piece of butter kneaded with finely minced breadcrumbs, parsley and a little cayenne, and toss the pan for a little while longer until all the butter is melted. Put them in a metal dish, pour over the liquor, stand in another dish, garnish with fried parsley, and serve very hot. Mussels, Poulette Style.