Time.—About 30 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 8 persons. Seasonable from April to October.
530.—LOBSTER CREAM (Hot). (Fr.—Crême de Homard, Chaude.)
Ingredients.—1 lobster, 1 oz. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, ¼ of a pint of milk, ¼ of a pint of cream, the yolks of 2 eggs, salt and pepper, cayenne.
Method.—Melt the butter in a small stewpan, add the flour, pour in the milk, and stir over the fire until the panada (or culinary paste) leaves the sides of the stewpan clear, and forms a compact mass round the bowl of the spoon, then put aside to cool. Cut one claw of the lobster into small dice, and set aside until wanted; pound the rest of the lobster in a mortar with the panada, yolks of eggs, and seasoning. Rub the mixture through a wire sieve into a basin, add the dice of lobster, and the cream (stiffly-whipped), and mix all well, but lightly, together. Turn into a well-buttered mould, cover with a buttered paper, and steam very gently for 1 hour. The saucepan must have a close-fitting lid to keep in the steam. The water should reach about half-way up the mould. Serve with a suitable sauce.
Time.—About 1¾ hours, altogether. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
531.—LOBSTER CREAM (Cold). (Fr.— Mousse de Homard, à la Suprême.)
Ingredients.—1 small lobster, 2 whitings, 1 gill of cream, 2 ozs. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, 1 gill of fish stock made from bones of the whitings, 4 eggs, salt, paprika pepper, cayenne.
Method.—Skin the whitings, remove the bones, and use the latter for the fish stock required. Split the lobster, take the meat from the shell, cut it into small pieces, pound it with the whitings together in a mortar, then pass through a wire sieve. Make a panada with 1 oz. of butter, 2 ozs. of flour, and the gill of fish stock, and work it thoroughly. Return the whiting purée to the mortar with the panada, mix well, and work in the yolks of 4 and the whites of 2 eggs. When well pounded pass all through a hair sieve, season with salt, paprika pepper, and a little cayenne. Whisk the 2 whites of eggs to a stiff froth, also whip the cream, and add to the mixture. Have ready a plain charlotte or soufflé mould, well buttered, three parts fill it with the above preparation, cover with buttered paper, place it in a stewpan containing some boiling water, and steam very gently for about ¾ of an hour. Serve very hot with Suprême sauce poured over the cream. A little more cream may be added to the mixture than the above given quantity if a richer dish is desired.
Time.—To steam about ¾ hour. Average Cost, 3s. to 3s. 6d. Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable at any time.
