Signs of a Good Lobster — Boiling— Preparing— Lobster Baked in the Shell— Lobster
Salad in Tomato Ring — Lobster Croquettes — Lobster Melon— Lobster Cutlets —
Deviled Lobster— Lobster a la Newburg— Broiled Soft-Shell Crabs on Toast-^
Creamed Shrimps
IT has been said that the first person who ate a lobster must
have been either starving or exceedingly brave ; for there
is but one other shellfish as forbidding in appearance as the
lobster, and that is the crab.
Within this uninviting exterior is a delicious white-and-
pink flesh, the like of which can hardly be equaled. When
broiled and served with hot butter sauce, seasoned with lemon-
juice, and garnished with crisp greens, it is delicious.
The lobster season extends from March to November.
One can, of course, procure lobsters during all seasons, but,
like oysters, they have their time, and out of season they are
stringy and lack delicate flavor.
SIGNS OF A GOOD LOBSTER
Always reject a dead lobster; that is, do not buy an un-
boiled lobster which is lifeless, as they are unwholesome.
When buying ready-boiled lobsters their freshness can be de-
termined by the tail, which should be curled tightly under
and when drawn out spring quickly back into place. Unless
it does this the lobster was boiled when dead and should be
rejected. When buying a live lobster see that it is lively when
touched.
BOILING
For boiling a lobster have a deep kettle with enough water
to entirely cover the lobster. When the water becomes hot
48 THE HOME COOK BOOK
take the lobster by the back and put it in head first; cover
tight. When the water boils put in one tablespoon of salt
and boil steadily for thirty minutes.
PREPARING
When cooked and cooled, twist off the claws and legs ;
break the tail apart from the body; remove the green sub-
stance, which is the fat, and considered the tid-bit by epi-
cures, and also the coral, the fine pink eggs. The stomach
lies directly under the head and should be removed and
thrown away; also the woolly gills.
Now pick out all the small pieces of meat which lie under
the gills. Crack the claws and remove the meat. Cut the
legs open with a pair of scissors and remove the meat. With
a pointed, sharp knife or scissors cut open the tail, inside ; re-
move the meat in one piece; then open it and take out the
one intestine which runs the entire length of the creature.
The meat is now ready to be served in any way preferred.
LOBSTER BAKED IN THE SHELL
Cut the meat into small pieces. Have ready three hard-
boiled eggs. In a saucepan place two tablespoons of butter.
iWhen melted, stir in two heaping tablespoons of flour and
continue stirring until well mixed. Now add one pint of hot
milk and stir until thick and smooth. Remove from the fire,
and add one teaspoon of salt, one-fourth of a teaspoon of
paprika, one teaspoon of lemon- juice, the lobster meat, the
eggs chopped very fine. Fill the shell. Cover with fine
cracker-crumbs mixed with a little butter. Set in a hot oven
to brown. Serve with half-sHces of lemon. [See illustration,
Plate II.]
LOBSTER SALAD IN TOMATO RING
Cut the lobster in small cubes and to each cup add half
a cup of crisp, tender celery cut in thin slices. Mix with a
mayonnaise in which fold one cup of whipped cream.
LOBSTERS, CRABS, SHRIMPS 49
Page 28
Presented as published in 1905. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Signs of a Good Lobster — Boiling— Preparing— Lobster Baked in the Shell— Lobster Salad in Tomato Ring — Lobster Croquettes — Lobster Melon— Lobster Cutlets — Deviled Lobster— Lobster a la Newburg— Broiled Soft-Shell Crabs on Toast-^ Creamed Shrimps
IT has been said that the first person who ate a lobster must have been either starving or exceedingly brave ; for there is but one other shellfish as forbidding in appearance as the lobster, and that is the crab.
Within this uninviting exterior is a delicious white-andpink flesh, the like of which can hardly be equaled. When broiled and served with hot butter sauce, seasoned with lemonjuice, and garnished with crisp greens, it is delicious.
The lobster season extends from March to November. One can, of course, procure lobsters during all seasons, but, like oysters, they have their time, and out of season they are stringy and lack delicate flavor.
SIGNS OF A GOOD LOBSTER
Always reject a dead lobster; that is, do not buy an unboiled lobster which is lifeless, as they are unwholesome. When buying ready-boiled lobsters their freshness can be determined by the tail, which should be curled tightly under and when drawn out spring quickly back into place. Unless it does this the lobster was boiled when dead and should be rejected. When buying a live lobster see that it is lively when touched.
BOILING
For boiling a lobster have a deep kettle with enough water to entirely cover the lobster. When the water becomes hot
take the lobster by the back and put it in head first; cover tight. When the water boils put in one tablespoon of salt and boil steadily for thirty minutes.
PREPARING
When cooked and cooled, twist off the claws and legs ; break the tail apart from the body; remove the green substance, which is the fat, and considered the tid-bit by epicures, and also the coral, the fine pink eggs. The stomach lies directly under the head and should be removed and thrown away; also the woolly gills.
Now pick out all the small pieces of meat which lie under the gills. Crack the claws and remove the meat. Cut the legs open with a pair of scissors and remove the meat. With a pointed, sharp knife or scissors cut open the tail, inside ; remove the meat in one piece; then open it and take out the one intestine which runs the entire length of the creature.
The meat is now ready to be served in any way preferred.
LOBSTER BAKED IN THE SHELL
Cut the meat into small pieces. Have ready three hardboiled eggs. In a saucepan place two tablespoons of butter. When melted, stir in two heaping tablespoons of flour and continue stirring until well mixed. Now add one pint of hot milk and stir until thick and smooth. Remove from the fire, and add one teaspoon of salt, one-fourth of a teaspoon of paprika, one teaspoon of lemon- juice, the lobster meat, the eggs chopped very fine. Fill the shell. Cover with fine cracker-crumbs mixed with a little butter. Set in a hot oven to brown. Serve with half-slices of lemon. [See illustration, Plate II.]
LOBSTER SALAD IN TOMATO RING
Cut the lobster in small cubes and to each cup add half a cup of crisp, tender celery cut in thin slices. Mix with a mayonnaise in which fold one cup of whipped cream.