Boiled Lobster

Ingredients

• a large lobster
• a handful of salt
• a large saucepan

Method

1. 1

   Fill a large saucepan with water, and when boiling fast, put the lobster in head first.

2. 2

   Place the lid on and let it boil quickly for half an hour or more.

3. 3

   Take it out with tongs, drain, wipe off scum, and rub with butter.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The encyclopaedia of practical cookery (1892) by Theodore Francis Garrett, William A. Rawson, page 355. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Boiled Lobster. — (1) Fill a large saucepan, or a fish-kettle, with water, and when boiling fast put the Lobster in, head first, so that it may be killed at once. Place the lid on, and let the Lobster boil quickly for half-an-hour or more. Take it out with the tongs, and leave till well drained ; then wipe off all the scum, and mb it over with a little piece of butter tied in a cloth. Lobsters should be boiled according to their size, allowing half-an-hour for lib., and so on. (2) Choose a live Lobster which seems heavy in propor- tion to its size. Have over the fire a large saucepanful of boiling water ; put in a handful of salt, plunge the Lobster head first into the boiling water, which will kill it at once, and boil steadily for twenty minutes, or until the shell turns red. Take it up, and as soon as it can be handled break off' the claws and tail, and carefully remove the soft fins which lie close to where the legs join the body. An ordinary iron can-opener is very useful in breaking apart the shell of the Lobster. After the shell is separated, so that the flesh can be reached, save all the green fat and coral, and the white curd-like substance which lies close to the shell, remove all flesh from the claws and body, and cut it into Jin. pieces; split the shell of the tail, remove and throw away the intestine which runs through the centre of the tail, and save the flesh. The Lobster will then be ready to dress. (3) Tie the claws of a large hen Lobster with string, plunge it head first into a saucepan of boiling water, put some sliced carrots, turnips, onions, a little parsley, 1 wine- glassful of vinegar, and salt in with it, and boil from fifteen to twenty-five minutes, according to the size of the Lobster. When done, let the Lobster remain in the water till cold, then cut the strings which bind the claws, and drain on a, sieve. Remove the spawn out of the shells, sever the claws from the body, split the Lobster lengthwise, and empty the halves of the shell, setting the creamy sub- stance aside ; take the halves of the tail-meat carefully out of the shells, and garnish the inside with parsley-leaves. hohstev— continued. Cut the tail of the Lobster in slices, put them back in the shells, the red side uppermost, and place them on a dish ; open the shells of the claws, and range them on the sides at one end on a bunch of parsley, putting little sprigs of parsley in the hollow between the shells. Pound to a paste in a mortar the spawn and creamy substance, and the raw yolks of six eggs ; turn it into a basin, and stir in gradually 1 table-spoonful of mustard, f- pint of oil, and nearly 1 teacupful of vinegar; add 1 pinch each of raw shallot, parsley, and tarragon, all chopped, and a sprinkling of salt and cayenne. Serve the sauce in a sauceboat with the Lobster. Broiled Lobster. — (1) After the Lobster has been boiled, split it lengthwise, and carefully pick out all the uneatable parts ; open it flat, put two or three small pieces of butter on it, and dust over with pepper; place the halves of the Lobster, just as they are in their shells, on a gridiron, and heat slowly over a clear fire. When done, put them with their shells, on a hot dish, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve. (2) Cover the meat of the tail and claws with soft butter, season with pepper and salt, and sprinkle over a little flour. Put it in a broiler and cook until a delicate brown. Turn out on a dish, pour bechamel sauce round, and serve. (3) Select three medium-sized, good, fresh Lobsters, split them into halves, take out the stony pouch and intestines, glaze slightly with sweet-oil, season with small quantities of salt and pepper, and broil for seven minutes on each side. Place them on a dish, moisten with 1 gill of good maitre d’hotel sauce, and serve. (4) Split a boiled Lobster right down, lay it open, and take out the uneatable parts. Sprinkle the meat with -white pepper, salt, and cayenne, moisten it with a little thin melted-butter sauce, place small pieces of butter over it, and put the halves of the Lobster on a gridiron over a clear fire till hot through. Serve them in their shells on a napkin spread over a hot dish. (5) Procure a large Lobster

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.