Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-25
7 IOUSE=
HOLD
| lINTS

the days of the old Romans favored guests
at rich mems banquets were served with
lobster, while needy clients at the same
board were forced to stay their hunger
with crabs and coarse bread, while the op-
sequious walters scurried by with long sue
cession Of daintiest dishes for those higher
up.
To Select a Lobster.-To choose a
lobster, look for good odor. stale lobster
has a heavy, muggy smell, firm flesh ana
glittering fine clear skin. The tail should
be stiff and springy. If the lobster has been
already boiled, as it should be II shipped
any distance, the claws should be drawn up
rigidly. If sprawly and limp, the creature
was dead before it was put into the pot,
and is therefore unfit for food.
To Boil a Lobster.-If one lives near
the source of supply it is cheaper to buy
the lobster alive and boil it at home NOR
is this difficult. Have a pot of water sllght-
ly sailed and boiling hard and pop the
lobster into this. Watch carefully, and the
moment it is red all over take tie kettle at
once from the fire. If there is time let the
lobster cool in the water which renders 1t
tender and preserves the flavor II in a
hurry, take. cut. sprinkle with salt let 1t
cold-water faucet and let water flow over
stand few moments, then put under the
it until cool.
To Open a Lobster.-The best way
to open and cut up a lobster Is
a trick worth knowing. Without that
knowledge the result will be sorry
mess of broken meat and shell not fit 10
eat. Lift up the lobster in the left hand
and with the right pick off the claws both
large and small and the feathery feelerS.
Break the body in two in the middle where
the upper part joins the lower and with
pair of stout scissors cut through the shelly
membrane on the inside of the tail. Lift
out the white piece of thick meat entire,
-pic for CHI tSni
cut along the back of the meat until
black stringlike vein-the intestinal canal
is found and remove it. Now cut the upper
part of the body with the scissors, lift out
the lungs and stomach, then pick out the
meat. Crack the claws and pick out the
meat also and shake the shell to remove
the liver. These preliminaries attended 10
the meat is ready for dressing or cooking
in any one of a great variety of ways, all
of which are equally applicable to the can
ned lobster.
Lobster Chops, Sauce Tartare.-Put into
a saucepan a heaping tablespoonful OF
butter and two very heaping ones of
flour. As soon as melted and frothed,
add one curful of hot milk or cream and
stir until the mixture is smooth and thick.
Season with salt and paprka, take from
the fire, add two cups of the lobster, cut
fine, mix well and turn on to platter to
get as cold as possible. When cold ana
firm, form into balls, then flatten into
chops, roll N egg, then in cracker crumbs,
and fry in deep hot fat or set away on the
ice until meal time, or the next day, before
frying. Drain on soft paper, tuck one of
the little claws in the small end to simulate
a chop bone and garnish with lemon and
parsley. For Sunday night supper these
chops may be fried early in the day, then
simply reheated in the oven for the meal.
Sauce Tartare.-Add to cup of mayon-
naise two tablesDoOnfulS each chopped
pickles. capers and olives and one table
spoonful of minced parsley. This will keep
a long time, and is handy to keep on tap
in Lent to use with smelts, oysters and
other delicate fish.
Broiled Lobster.-For broiling. the lobster
is usually killed and split open by the fish
monger, who will remove the intestines and
lady in green" If forced to be your own
eXecutioner select good-siZed lively
creature, sever the spinal chord by running
a Sharp-pOintcd knife down between body
shells and tail, then with a heavy knife or
cleaver split from stem to stern. The
claws may be cracked now after broil-
ing, as preferred, and nut cracker is best
for this purpose. Place two Holsters at a
time. backs down. on a buttered griddle
iron, but a good distance from the Goals;
first. however brushing the flesh over with
olive oil. Basic occasionally with more oil
and a little salt. At the end of twenty
minutes turn the lobster over long enough
to mark the shell, then place on a hot plat
ter. spread with butter. dust with paprka
and send to the table with small boat of
melted butter or Maitre d'Hotel sauce
Lobster Pan Broiled.-After splitting the
lobster, place in a fiat pan flesh side
up, brush with olive oil or melted but
ter. dust lightly with salt and paprka,
and put into a very hot oven for fifteen
minutes. Serve with melted butter
Curry of Lobster in Rice Cups.-Ffll
cups with warm boiled rice. pressing
down close and firm. When cold, scoop out
the middle of each cup, leaving a wall sub
stantial enough to preserve it's shape. Have
ready a kettle of boiling fat, drop the cups
In carefully and fry until brown. For the
filling, put TABLESPOONFUL of butter in a
saucepan and when hot add a tablespoonful
of minced onion. Cook until light yellow,
then add one tablespoonful of flour. As
soon as frothy. pour in one cup of hot milk
or water, a teaspoonful of curry powder
and salt and pepper to season. If you use
water instead of milk teaspoonful of
lemon Juice is an Improvement. Cook until
the mixture thickens add one cupful of
diced lobster. then fill into the cups and
serve.
Lobster Bisdue.-For this the inferior
pickings of lobster may be used Cover
the shells. claws, etc, with one quart of
cold water after the most of the meat
has been taken from them. and let 1t
cook for n short time to make the foun-
datiOn for the SOUP. Have ready two
cupfuls of good lobster pickings Put
one level tablespoonful of butter in a
saucepan. and as soon as melted add a
tablespoonful of flour. Cook for mo-
ment season with salt and pepper then
pour in one cupful of the strained liquor,
STIRRING constantly TO avoid Jumps. AS
soon as smooth. add one cupful of the
lobster meat, sinner about five minutes,
adding meanwhile a speck of cayenne. a
little salt and white pepper. Lastly add
one cup of hot milk let it just boil up
once and serve with thin crackers. This
makes one pint of soup, Just enough for
a little family of two. A tablespoonful
of lemon juice with bit of the rind
may be used if desired but should not
be added until the last thing. Some peo-
ple like n busting of nutmeg. But if the
lobster is more especially suited to gala
days there is still plenty of good red
herring" or it's equivalent for every day
and the modest competence.
A Can of Salmon.-Take for example the
possibilities of a can of solmon. The gen.
eral preparation of the fish for all dishes
is the same. Make sure first that the
can has not bulged. If it has throw it
away or else look out for ptomaine pol
soning. Open the can some little time be-
fore using and turn the fish out to air.
This should be done with any sort OF tin
ned goods. Some very economical house
wives save the oily liquor in the can to
use as a dressing for lettuce or cab
bage. but usually 1t Is thrown away.
Then remove every particle of skin and
bones no matter If the later are cooked
so soft that they crumble. Now the fish
is in condition to use in any way pre-
ferred
caIpoon Salad ARRANGE the pieces of sal