(2531). Lobster Or Spiny Lobster A La Ravigote (Homard Ou Langouste A La Ravigote)

Boil a lobster in a plain court-bouillon (No. 38) and let it cool off under a weight with the tail stretched out. Remove the tail meats from underneath, leaving the shell attached to the body; pare the meats ou the thickest end and cut them up into slightly bias slices so as to have them somewhat wider; season and place them flat on a tinned-copper tray: decorate the tops with lobster, eggs, tarragon leaves and chervil; cover the decorations with half-set jelly and keep in a cool place.

Break the shells of the large claws so as to remove the meats and divide these in two lengthwise, then brush them over with half-set aspic jelly (No. 103). Cut in dice the meats of a small boiled lobster, put the pieces in a bowl with an equal quantity of cooked truffles, a few spoonfuls of cooked mushrooms and raw7 gherkins; season this salpicon and stir it on ice into some thick mayonnaise (No. 606), and with it cover ten to twelve small cooked equal-sized artichoke bottoms.

Turn over the lobster body and fill the empty tail with thick jelly pushed through a pocket; dress at once in its natural slate, the red side uppermost, on a long dish, moistening it with half-set jelly, laid on with a brush, to prevent the lobster from slipping off. On the top of the shell, from one end to the other, push two thick strings of butter previously softened in a cloth and an inch and a quarter apart; between these strings range a bed of chopped jelly, and on top of this dress the slices of lobster, one overlapping the other. On the right and left of the head lay the jelly covered claws and around the body have chopped jelly surrounded with the garnished artichoke bottoms. and around them a border of pretty jelly croutons (No. 2442). Serve at the same time a ravigote sauce (No. 623), having the creamy parts of the lobster added to it.

(2532). Lobster In A Border (Homard En Bordure)

Cut into quarter-inch squares, on the bias, the tail meat of two boiled lobsters, also the claws cut into four pieces; lay them in a deep dish and season with salt, oil and vinegar. Incrust in ice a plain border mold (Fig. 139), coat the inside with clear jelly (No. 103); cut some hard-boiled eggs into four pieces, that is once lengthwise and then each half egg once across; fasten to the yolks small sprigs of green chervil dipped in jelly, and fill the border mold with these eggs; then pour into the bottom a little melted jelly; let it set, add about half an inch more, and when this begins to harden fill up the mold, and let it remain on ice until the jelly is perfectly firm; then turn the mold over on a cold dish. Fill the inside empty space as high as the jelly with a vegetable salad (No. 2650), thickened with jellied mayonnaise (No. 613); dress on top the slices of lobster, covering the whole with jellied mayonnaise; cover with more jelly, and set on top the claws dipped in jelly. A mayonnaise printaniere (No. 612) should be served separately.

(2533). Lobster Tails In Their Shells (Queues De Homards Dans Leurs Coquilles)

Detach the bodies, claws and tails from five small cooked lobsters; open the claw shells to remove the meats. Cut the five lobster tails lengthways, both meat and shell together; remove the meats from these ten halved shells, wipe the shells neatly, and fill the bottoms with a layer of preparation made with the lobster parings, truffles and mushrooms, mingled with a little chaudfroid sauce (No. 606), and finished with a dash of cayenne pepper. Season the tail meats and cut them up slanting without spoiling their shape, and dip them into half-set jelly; then replace each one in its half shell, the red side uppermost, and lay them aside in a cool place. This entree is to be dressed on a dish foundation having in the center a pyramidieal support, both of which are to be covered with white paper, then with a layer of thick chopped jelly pushed through a pocket; the halved tails are to be dressed with the points upward, five on each side; the claws are to stand upright on top of the support, and surrounded by green parsley leaves.

The base of the halved tails is also to be surrounded by fresh parsley, and the bottom of the dish with pretty jelly croutons (No. 2442). As soon as the entree is dressed place it in the ice-box until ready to serve, then send it to the table with a separate mayonnaise sauce | No. 606).

Fig. 509.

(2534). Lobster Or Spiny Lobster With Mayonnaise (Homard Ou Langouste A La Mayonnaise)

Cook a large lobster; drain and let get cold with the tail stretched out. Detach the large claws and divide the body lengthwise in two; remove the meats whole from each halved tail, and cut them up slanting, but without deforming them. Wipe well the empty tail shells and fill them half way with chopped jelly, then return the meats to the shells upside down so that the red part is uppermost. Suppress the black vein from the center of the bodies, also the creamy parts, and rub these through a sieve and add them to a mayonnaise sauce (No. 606). Dress the two halves of the lobster on a napkin or dish, and in the hollow space formed by the shells place a bunch of parsley leaves; on this dress the lobster claws in their shells, after suppressing half of them, and surround the lobster on the bottom of the dish with a string of chopped jelly, and around this lay either croutons of jelly or halved hard-boiled eggs filled with a salad of vegetables (No. 2650); serve the mayonnaise sauce separately.