SHELL FISH.
ALTHOUGH crabs and lobsters may be seen at the fish mongers’ the whole year round, they are yet only in high season and plentiful from the month of April till the close of October.
If lobsters have not been long taken, the claws will have a strong motion when you put your finger on the eyes and press them. The heaviest, if of good size, are the best, but the largest are not the best. When you buy them ready boiled, try whether their tails are stiff, and pull up with a spring; if otherwise, they are either watery or not fresh. The “cock lobster,” as the male is called, is known by the narrow back part of his tail, and the two uppermost fins within it are stiff and hard; but those of the hen are soft, and the tail broader. The male, though generally smaller, has the highest flavor; the flesh is firmer, and the color, when boiled, is a deeper red; but the female has that fine coral so highly prized by cooks for the improvement of their sauces, which appears with the rudiments of the spawn.
To boil Lobsters.—Put them alive, with their claws tied together, into the water when boiling hot, and keep it so until the fish is done, which, if of a pound weight, will take about fifteen minutes, and if larger will require not quite the same proportion of time, for if boiled too long the meat will be stringy. Many people are shocked at the apparent cruelty of thus killing them, but death takes place immediately, and life cannot be taken away without pain.
When sent to table to be eaten cold, the tail and body should be split from end to end, the claws cracked, but not unshelled, and the meat may be made into salad, or mixed in such manner as each person pleases, and many persons add a teaspoonful of white powdered sugar, thinking that it gives a mellowness to the whole. It is scarcely necessary to mention that the head of a lobster, and what are called the “lady-fingers,” are not to be eaten.
To stew Lobsters.—Take the meat out of the shells of 1 or 2 boiled lobsters. Put the shells into a pint of water with some whole pepper, salt, and a little mace. Let it boil till all the goodness is extracted from the shells; then strain it. Mix with a little cream, or thin melted butter, the rich portion of the lobster, and the coral: add a small quantity of lemon-juice and 2 tablespoonsful of wine, mix it with the gravy, and warm the lobster in it; a few minutes will suffice.
Or:—Cut the meat of a boiled lobster into pieces, and put them into a covered metal dish with a bit of butter, 2 large spoonsful of any sort of gravy, 1 of soy or walnut-ketchup, a little salt and cayenne, with a glass of port wine, and warm it. If there be a lamp under the dish, you may do it at your own table within a few minutes.
Another mode of stewing lobsters is:—Take the meat of 2 lobsters, mince it small, and put it into a pint of beef-soup. Let it stew a little; thicken it with a piece of butter rolled in flour; add a glass of white wine, with a little pepper; add salt and nutmeg, a spoonful of ketchup, 1 of anchovy, and 1 of lemon-juice. Let the whole stew together, and serve up, garnishing the dish with the small claws.
To fricassee Lobster.—Parboil it, extract the meat from the shell, and cut it into small pieces; season it with white pepper, salt, and nutmeg, and put it into the stewpan, with as much cream or richly-made white sauce as will cover it. Keep the lid close, set the pan on hot coals, and stew it slowly for about as long a time as it was previously boiled.
To roast Lobsters.—When half boiled, take them out of the kettle, butter the shells, lay the fish before the fire, and baste them with butter, till it froths. Serve with high-seasoned melted butter.
Potted Lobsters, Crabs, Shrimps, or Prawns.—Choose fine hen lobsters, full of spawn; boil them, pick out the tail and claws, season with salt, pepper (black or cayenne), and mace and cover them with melted butter; bake them one hour, and strain off the butter; then pound the lobster with the spawn into a paste, put it into pots, clarify the butter and pour upon it, and tie over. Lobsters may also be potted in pieces, with out beating.
Crab, shrimps, and prawns, may also be potted as above; and all, when cut out, make fine sandwiches.
Curried Lobsters.—Lay the meat in a pan, with two or three blades of mace, and equal quantities of veal gravy and cream; then rub with butter, two teaspoonsful of currie-powder, and half the quantity of flour; which put into the pan, and simmer the whole an hour, adding salt, and the juice of half a lemon.
Croquettes of Lobster.—Take the meat from the shell, chop it finely, mix it with a little salt, pepper, and pounded mace; take one quarter part of fine bread-crumbs, make it up into balls with melted butter, brash the balls with yolk of egg, and dredge them with bread crumbs, and fry them, serving with or without gravy: if dry, they must be sent up with crisped parsley.
Lobster Salad.—Take one or two heads of white heart lettuce; they should be as fresh as possible; if they are not “morning gathered,” lay them in spring water for an hour or two; then carefully wash them, and trim off all the withered or cankered leaves; let them drain awhile, and dry them lightly in a clean napkin.
To make the dressing; boil 2 eggs for 12 minutes, and put them in a basin of cold water for a few minutes, till the yolks become thoroughly cold and hard. Rub the yolks through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and mix them with a tablespoonful of water; then add 2 table-spoonsful of oil or melted butter; when these are well mixed, add by degrees a tea-spoonful of salt, and the same of made mustard; when these are smoothly united, add very gradually 3 table-spoonsful of vinegar.
Take out the finest parts of a lobster and mince them small. Just before it is to be served, mince the lettuce; mix it with the lobster and the dressing. Cut up the white of the egg, and garnish the salad with it.
Hen lobsters are preferred for salad on account of their coral.
Lobster salads are also made in moulds, when ornaments of the whites of eggs boiled hard, some cut gherkins, or beetroot, are placed in the moulds with jelly, lobster, &c.; the whole is set in ice, and when frozen, is turned out of the mould, and served with salad sauce. This is an elegant supper-dish, but should be attempted only by a skilful hand.
CRAB.
Though not so well known as the lobster, is looked upon by many as being a better-flavored fish, and perhaps rather more digestible. The female is considered inferior to the male, and may be known by the claws being smaller, and the tail much wider. The heaviest are usually thought to be the best, but those of a middling size are the sweetest. If light, they are watery; when in perfection, the joints of the legs are stiff; the shell, whether alive or dead, should be of a bright red; and the body has a very agreeable smell. The eyes look dead and loose when stale, or when the fish have died a natural death. They are boiled in the same manner as lobster, but require rather longer time, and are most usually eaten cold with oil and vinegar, as thus:—Pick out all the fish from the shell, divide it into small pieces, mixing the rich part well with the rest; moisten it with salad dressing, and return it to the shell with an edge all round of sliced lemon.
If hot, pick the fish out as above; then put the meat, with a little nutmeg, salt, pepper, bits of butter, crumbs of bread, and 3 spoonsful of vinegar, into the shell again, and set it before the fire. You may brown it with a salamander, but it should be always served in the shell. Dry toast should be served to eat with it. Observe to remove “the lady,” as it is called.
To stew Crabs.—Pick the meat carefully out of a large crab and its claws; cut into small pieces, mix it with about a fourth part of bread-crumbs, and a very small quantity of finely shred parsley. Season it well, and return it to the shell with some small bits of butter here and there, enough, when warmed, to keep it moist. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over it, or a spoonful of lemon-pickle or acid sauce. Put a thick layer of crumbs of bread upon the top with small bits of butter laid all over it, and bake it in the shell before the fire or in the oven. The shell of one crab will contain the meat of two.
TERRAPINS.
This is a favorite dish for suppers and parties; and, when well cooked, they are certainly very delicious. Many persons in Philadelphia have made themselves famous for cooking this article alone. Mrs. Rubicam, who during her lifetime always stood first in that way, prepared them as follows:—Put the terrapins alive in a pot of boiling water, where they must remain until they are quite dead. You then divest them of their outer skin and toe-nails; and, after washing them in warm water, boil them again until they become quite tender, adding a handful of salt to the water. Having satisfied yourself of their being perfectly tender, take off the shells and clean the terrapins very carefully, removing the sand-bag and gall without breaking them. Then cut the meat and entrails into small pieces, and put into a sauce-pan, adding the juice which has been given out in cutting them up, but no water, and season with salt, cayenne, and black pepper, to your taste; adding a quarter of a pound of good butter to each terrapin, and a handful of flour for thickening. After stirring a short time, add four or five table-spoonsful of cream, and a half pint of good Madeira to every four terrapins, and serve hot in a deep dish. Our own cook has been in the habit of putting in a very little mace, a large table-spoonful of mustard, and ten drops of the gall; and, just before serving, adding the yolks of four hard boiled eggs. During the stewing, particular attention must be paid to stirring the preparation frequently; and it must be borne in mind, that terrapins cannot possibly be too hot.—Sanderson.
OYSTERS.
To feed Oysters.—Wash them clean, lay them bottom downwards in a tub or pan, and cover them with water, to 2 gallons of which add a pound of salt. In 12 hours change the salt and water. Colchester barrelled oysters, if tightly packed, will be better without water. Barrelled oysters may be kept alive by removing the top hoop of the barrel, and placing a heavy weight upon the head or top, so as to keep the oysters close.
To fry Oysters.—They should be large for this purpose. Simmer them for a couple of minutes in their own liquor beard and dry them in a cloth, dredge them lightly with flour, dip them in egg and fine bread crumbs, and fry them a delicate brown in boiling lard.
Another way to fry Oysters.—Take a score or two of the largest oysters you can find. The yolks of 4 or 5 eggs well beaten up, with a little nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and a tablespoonful of fine flour. Dip in the oysters, and fry them in butter a light brown.
To scollop Oysters.—Take 12 of the smaller sort, beard them, cut out the hard part which adheres to their shells, and leave them in their liquor; have ready a quantity of crumbs of fresh bread, not too finely grated, and mixed with a little pepper and salt; then grease a scollop shell, strew upon it some of the crumbs with bits of butter, and lay upon them a layer of the oysters; then crumbs, bits of butter, and oysters, layer upon layer, until the shell is filled up; cover it with a thick coating of the crumbs well buttered, and brown it in a Dutch oven. A dozen oysters, with the proper quantity of crumbs, will fill up the largest scollop shell, and take an hour to be thoroughly done.
Some cooks scald the oysters for 5 minutes in their own liquor, and mix with them minced shalot, or chives, and pot herbs; but these although they may please an epicurean palate, will destroy the natural flavor of the oyster.
Or:—Keep the oysters in their liquor, put a bit of butter in a stew-pan, with minced parsley, shalot, and a little pepper; brown them with a fried onion; then add the oyster liquor, strained, and a little good gravy, work them until they are of the consistence of sauce, but do not add flour to thicken it, as it spoils the taste of the oyster liquor, and gives them a sod dened appearance; then toss and put in the oysters, add lemon juice, and fill the scollop shells, which may be put before the fire to be kept hot, but without bread crumbs or artificial browning of any sort: they are an admirable addition to a rump-steak.
To broil Oysters.—Take them from the shells, beard them and put them with their liquor into tin shapes made to imitate scollops, 6 in a shell (not more), with a little pepper and butter. Put the shells upon a gridiron over a good fire, and serve them when plump and quite hot. They are delicious this way; but to be eaten in perfection should be cooked in the room where they are eaten. Squeeze a little lemon juice over them when they come from the fire.
Or:—They may be put singly in their under shells along with their own liquor, a little minced parsley and spice, and a bit of butter, and thus put upon the gridiron, to be taken off when thoroughly heated.
To stew Oysters.—Take a pint of oysters. Set them over the fire in their liquor, with a glass of white wine, a piece of butter, some salt, a little black pepper, and some blades of mace. Let them stew gently about half an hour: then put in another piece of butter; toss all around together till the butter is melted; and turn out the oysters and liquor upon thin slices of bread.
To pickle Oysters.—Open as many oysters as will fill a gallon, together with the liquor—wash them well in their own liquor, carefully clearing away the particles of shell—then put them into an iron pot, and pour the liquor gently over them, adding 2 table-spoonsful of salt, or a little more if they are fresh; set them on the fire till they are ready to boil, and the fins much shrivelled; if the oysters are large, they may boil a minute or two; then take them out and lay them on a table to cool; take the liquor, putting some mace and whole pepper into it, and let it boil for some time, carefully skimming it as long as any scum remains; then pour it into a pan. When perfectly cold, add a pint of white wine, and half a pint of strong vinegar. Place the oysters gently in a jar; pour the liquor on them so as to cover them.
Oyster Pie.—Butter a deep dish; line it with puff-paste rolled to about half an inch in thickness. Lay a clean napkin over the top of the dish, and put on the towel a cover for the pie, of paste. Bake it well. Meanwhile, take oysters enough to fill the pie and put them in a stew-pan with just enough of their liquor to prevent them from burning; season them with pepper, mace, and some grated nutmeg; add a large portion of butter cut small and rolled in a very little flour. Let the oysters simmer, but not boil, for a few minutes. Then beat the yolks of 3 or 4 eggs, according to the size of the pie, and stir them in the oysters. Let it simmer a few minutes. Pour the oysters while hot into the pie, carefully taking off and replacing the cover. Oyster pies may be eaten warm or cold.
Oysters prepared in the same way but without the egg, may be put into the pie before it is baked, and cooked with it.
For Oyster Patties.—Make some rich puff-paste, and bake it in very small tin patty-pans. When cool, turn them out upon a large dish. Stew some large fresh oysters with a few cloves, a little mace and nutmeg, some yolk of egg boiled hard and grated, a little butter, and as much of the oyster liquor as will cover them. When they have stewed a little while, take them out of the pan, and set them away to cool. When quite cool, lay 2 or 3 oysters in each shell of puff-paste.
Or:—The oysters may be put into the shells when hot, and served immediately.
To boil Hard-shell Clams.—Wash the shells, and put them in a kettle with about a pint or more of water. The less water the stronger will be the flavor of the clams. Lay them with their edges downwards; let them boil constantly, and when their shells open wide take them off, as they are done. Then take them from the shells; lay in a dish some slices of toasted bread buttered; pour the clams with some of their juice upon them; season it with pepper, and if you choose add a little butter.
Sand clams are preferable for every purpose.
To fry Hard-shell Clams.—Take the large sand clams; wash them in their own liquor; beat well the yolks of 4 eggs with a little pepper and a table-spoonful of fine flour. Dip in the clams and fry them in butter a light brown.
To stew Hard-shell Clams.—Take the clams from their shells and put them in a stew-pan with enough of their own liquor mixed with an equal quantity of water to cover them; let them simmer from 30 to 40 minutes, skimming them carefully; mix a table-spoonful of flour with 3 table-spoonsful of butter and stir it in; season it with pepper, but no salt; cover the stew-pan and let them simmer from 15 to 20 minutes.
Sand clams are to be preferred.
Clam Fritters.—Take 12 large, or 25 small clams from their shells; if the clams are large, divide them. Mix 2 gills of wheat flour, with 1 gill of milk, half as much of the clam liquor, and 1 egg well beaten. Make the batter smooth, and then stir in the clams. Drop the batter by table-spoonsful in boiling lard; let them fry gently, turning them when done on one side.
To boil Soft-shell Clams.—When the shells are washed clean, put the clams in a pot with the edges downwards; pour a quart of boiling water over them to open the shells; set them over the fire for nearly an hour. When they are done the shells will be wide open; then take them out of the shells, trim off the black skin that covers the hard part; put them in a stew-pan with some of their own liquor, to which add butter, pepper, and salt. Let them boil a few minutes.
To stew Soft-shell Clams.—Take the clams from their shells, and free them from their black skin; wash them, and put them with a little water in a stew-pan; cover it and let them simmer gently for 30 minutes; then thicken the juice with butter and flour rolled together; season with salt and pepper; let them stew for 10 minutes.
To fry Soft-shell Clams.—Proceed as with hard-shelled clams.
To stew Muscles.—Open them, put them into a pan with their own liquor, to which add a large onion and some parsley, with 2 table-spoonsful of vinegar; roll a piece of butter in flour, beat an egg, and add it to the gravy, warming the whole up very gradually.
In France, muscles are skewered upon a small skewer and roasted, or dipped into a thick batter and fried.
In preparing muscles for table, care should be taken to destroy the beards, as well also as a small species of crab which is sometimes found in their shells. They are not in season during the summer.
To stew Scollops.—Boil them very well in salt and water, then take them out and stew them in a little of their liquor, a glass of white wine, and a little vinegar; add some grated bread crumbs, and the yolks of 2 or 3 hard eggs minced small. Stew all together till they are sufficiently done, then add a large spoonful of essence of anchovy and a good piece of butter rolled in flour; or stew very gradually in a rich white sauce, with thick cream, until quite hot, but without being allowed to boil, and serve with sippets.
Crayfish, prawns, and shrimps may all be done in the same manner.
Potted Shad.—Cut the shad in half, lengthwise; then cut each half in three pieces. Take a stone-ware jar with a mouth not very wide. Rub each piece of fish with salt and red pepper; put in the jar a layer of fish, then a layer of onions, sprinkling in a little clove, mace, and allspice, then a layer of fish, and so on until the jar is full. Fill the jar with vinegar; tie up the jar with a piece of muslin; cover the muslin over tightly with a plaster of dough to keep in the fumes of the vinegar; set it in a moderate oven, and let it bake slowly several hours. When cold, it is fit to be eaten when the bones will be found dissolved