Another

Boil and drain as directed; cut all the flesh in dice, and put it in a bowl with the inside, some lettuce cut rather fine, salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard, and very little oil; mix well, and then put the mixture on a dish, placing it like a mound on the middle of the dish; spread a Mayonnaise sauce over it; decorate with the centre leaves of the lettuce, some hard-boiled eggs cut in slices or in fancy shapes, capers, boiled or pickled red beets, cut also in fancy shapes, slices of lemon, and serve.

Anchovies, olives, pickled cucumbers, or any other pickled fruit or vegetable may also be added.

A rose, or two or three pinks, may be placed right on the top, as a decoration. Just before commencing to serve, the rose may be put on a dessert plate and offered to a lady.

In Coquilles, Or Scalloped

It is boiled and then finished like oysters scalloped.

It may be served thus on scallop-shells, on silver shells, or on its own shell; that is, on the shell of the tail, split in two lengthwise, and trimmed according to fancy.

Croquettes

Lobster croquettes are made exactly like fish-balls, and then fried according to directions for frying.

They are served warm. It is an excellent dish for breakfast.

Fried

To be fried, the lobster must be bled ; separate the body from the tail, then cut the tail in pieces, making as many pieces as there are joints. Put these pieces in a frying-pan with two or three ounces of butter, and one onion, chopped fine; set on a sharp fire, stir now and then till the whole is fried, then add a bunch of seasoning composed of three sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, and a clove; salt, pepper, and three gills of Madeira wine; boil gently till reduced about half; dish the pieces of lobster according to fancy; add two or three tablespoon-fuls of gravy to the sauce, stir it, give one boil, and turn it over the lobster through a strainer; serve warm.

Another Way

Proceed as above in every particular, except that you use Sauterne or Catawba wine instead of Madeira, and, besides the seasonings, add half a dozen mushrooms, or two truffles, or both.

Dish the mushrooms and truffles with the lobster, then finish and serve as the above.

Craw-Fish

These are found in most of the lakes, brooks, and rivers.

In some places they are called river-crabs, or freshwater crabs.

They resemble the lobster, and are often taken for young lobsters.

Besides being a beautiful ornament and much used to decorate dishes, they are excellent to eat and very light.

They are dressed and served like lobsters and crabs.

Fishermen are sure to find a ready market for them, though they are, as yet, very little known.

Crabs

Crabs are boiled like lobsters, and may be served like lobster, in salad. They are often eaten, only boiled, without any seasonings.

Like lobsters also, to be good, crabs must be put in the water alive.

When well washed and clean, they may be prepared in the following way: Put them in a saucepan with slices of onions, same of carrots, parsley, chives if handy, thyme, bay-leaves, cloves, salt, and pepper-corns; half cover them with white wine, add butter, set on a good fire, and boil till done. Serve with parsley only.

The sauce may be used a second time by adding a little wine.

The soft-shell crab is blanched five minutes, and fried like fish.

It may also be saute with a little butter, and served with a maitre d'hotel.

Broil it also, and serve it with a maitre d'hotel.