Deviled Crabs

Ingredients

• Use one pint of crab meat
• a generous half-pint of white stock
• four tablespoonfuls of butter
• one scant tablespoonful of flour
• one teaspoonful of mustard
• one-fourth of a teaspoonful of cayenne
• two level teaspoonfuls of salt
• one tablespoonful of lemon juice
• a pint and a half of grated stale bread crumbs

Method

1. 1

   Pick the crab meat from the shells.

2. 2

   Wash and wipe the shells.

3. 3

   Put the stock in a small saucepan.

4. 4

   Mix the flour, mustard, and two tablespoonfuls of the butter.

5. 5

   Stir this mixture into the boiling stock.

6. 6

   Boil for two minutes, and on taking from the fire, add the crab meat and seasonings.

7. 7

   Mix well, and then put the mixture into the crab shells.

8. 8

   Sprinkle the bread crumbs over these, and then dot with the two remaining tablespoonfuls of butter.

9. 9

   Arrange the shells in a large baking-pan, and cook in a rather hot oven until the crumbs get browned.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Miss Parloa's kitchen companion (1887) by Maria Parloa, page 115. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Deviled Crabs. Use one pint of crab meat (a dozen good-sized crabs will supply this quantity), a generous half -pint of white stock, four table-spoonfuls of butter, one scant table- spoonful of flour, one teaspoonful of mustard, one-fourth of a teaspoonful of cayenne, two level teaspoonfuls of salt, one table-spoonful of lemon juice, and a pint and a half of grated stale bread crumbs. Pick the crab meat from the shells. Wash and wipe the shells. Put the stock in a small saucepan. Mix the flour, mustard, and two table-spoonfuls of the butter. Stir this mixture into the boiling stock. Boil for two minutes, and on taking from the fire, add the crab meat and seasonings. Mix well, and then put the mixture into the crab shells. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over these, and then dot with the two remaining table- spoonfuls of butter. Arrange the shells in a large baking-pan, and cook in a rather hot oven until the crumbs get browned. The pan must have a grate 224 MISS PARLOA'S KITCHEN COMPANION. under it, so that the heat shall not be great at the bottom. The crumbs should become brown in ten or twelve min- utes. Cover the bottom of a large dish with parsley. Arrange the crabs on this, and serve at once. Lobster, prawn, and shrimp may be prepared in the same manner. Canned crab meat may be used for this dish. * Curry of Lobster. Cut into pieces about two inches square the meat of a lobster weighing about three pounds, and after seasoning with salt and one-fifth of a teaspoonful of cayenne, set it away in a cold place. Put three table-spoonfuls of butter into a frying-pan, and when it has become hot, add two table-spoonfuls of flour and a small teaspoonful of curry powder. Stir the mixture until it is brown ; then grad- ually add a cupful and a half of stock, and season with salt and pepper. Add the lobster, and cook six minutes longer. Place small slices of crisp toast upon a warm dish, and pour the curry upon them. Garnish with triangles of toast and bits of parsley. If the flavor of onion be liked, fry a small onion in the butter before adding the flour and curry-powder; but in this case strain the sauce before the lobster is put with it. * Fricassee of Lobster. Here is a good mode of preparing a lobster weighing two and a half or three pounds. Besides the fish there will be needed a pint of white stock or water, two table- spoonfuls of butter, two of flour, one of lemon juice, a teaspoonful of chopped onion, a tiny bit of mace, a sprig of parsley, and salt and pepper to suit the taste. Remove the meat from the shell of the lobster, and cut it into small cubes. Put the torn-alley, or green liver, with it ; and after seasoning with salt and pepper, put all into a deep saucepan, and set aside. Put the onion, mace, FISH. 225 parsley, and butter into a frying-pan, and cook slowly for five minutes j then add the flour, and stir constantly until smooth and frothy. Draw the pan back, and grad- ually add the stock. Boil gently for three minutes j and after adding the lemon juice and some salt and pepper, strain the liquid upon the lobster. Cook the dish for eight minutes, and serve with boiled rice or dry toast. When it is inconvenient to use stock, milk, or half cream and half water, may be substituted. In this case the lemon juice must not be added until the last moment, because it wouldf curdle the sauce if boiled with it. Lobster Newburg. If provision is to be made for six or eight persons, use the meat of a lobster weighing about four pounds, or that of two small lobsters, four table-spoonfuls of butter

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