CRAB MEAT AU GRATIN

Place in a bowl

  Two cups thick cream sauce,
  One and one-quarter cups crab meat,
  One onion grated,
  Three tablespoons finely minced parsley,
  One and one-half teaspoons salt,
  One-half teaspoon white pepper,
  One-half teaspoon paprika.

Mix with fork, turn into au gratin dish, sprinkle the top with fine bread crumbs, dot with bits of butter and then sprinkle two tablespoons grated cheese and bake in a moderate oven thirty-five minutes.

To prepare cream sauce for a la King and au gratin dishes, use four level tablespoons flour to each cup milk.

Dissolve flour in cold milk, bring to boil, cook two minutes; it is then ready for use.

SOFT SHELL CRABS

Soft-shell crabs are shedders, that is, the crab has shed his shell and the new one is not yet hard.  To clean, insert the finger under the apron-shaped piece and the back part of the shell and remove the spongy fingers, the entrails, etc.  Wash and drain well and then roll in flour, dip in beaten egg and then roll in fine crumbs and fry until golden brown in hot fat.  Place in a hot oven for ten minutes to cook.  Serve with tartare sauce.

LOBSTER

Lobster may be boiled, broiled and baked and may be served in same manner as crab meat.

LOBSTER A LA NEWBURG

Place in a saucepan

  One and one-half cups of milk,
  Five tablespoons of flour.

Dissolve the flour in the milk and bring to a boil.  Cook for five minutes and then add

  One well-beaten egg,
  Lobster meat, cut in one-inch blocks,
  One teaspoon of salt,
  One teaspoon of paprika,
  One-half teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce,
  Juice one-half lemon.

TO BROIL LOBSTERS

Split the live lobster in half.  Lay it on its back.  Do not cut the back shell through.  Remove the entrails and remove the vein through the tail.  Wash well and then brush with salad oil and place in broiler, shell side up, and cook for fifteen minutes.  Turn the flesh side up and baste with salad oil or melted butter.  Cook for twelve minutes and then remove and serve with melted butter, chili or tomato sauce.

TO BOIL

Plunge the lobster into boiling water and cook for twenty minutes, for medium lobster.  Cool, break apart, discard entrails and fine vein running down the centre of the tail.  Break open the claws and remove the meat.  This meat and that of the belly and tail may be used for salads, ravigottes, au gratins, croquettes, cutlets, a la King and terrapin style.

SAUCE TO SERVE WITH FISH—­FOR BOILED FISH