SHELLFISH. 53 



the liquid from them, throw the shells away, and 

 strain the liquid through muslin to clean it from 

 sand. Stir in a pint of good melted butter, and 

 add a tablespoonful of vinegar, and half a tea- 

 spoonful of white pepper. Stir the sauce over the 

 fire for two or three minutes, but do not let it boil, 

 and serve it with cod or haddock. 



To Dress a Crab. 



Take off the large claws, and take out all the 

 flesh of the crab, keeping separate the brownish 

 cream. This brown cream must be mixed with about 

 two good tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs to a 

 paste ; cut the white meat very small, clear away 

 the fungus part called the ' dead man,' and fill each 

 shell with the white meat, leaving the centre to be 

 filled up with the brown paste. Take the meat out of 

 the claws and shred it finely, and place it on the 

 top of the other white part, and ornament with 

 lobster spawn and sprigs of parsley ; take the feelers 

 off and cut them at both joints, stick the top joint 

 into the joint left on the crab ; chopped aspic jelly 

 and parsley should garnish it. Sometimes the 

 centre of the crab is filled with red imperial 

 Mayonnaise. 



Imperial Mayonnaise. 



Put into a bowl half a pint of aspic, add to it 

 two spoonfuls of best olive-oil, one of sharp vinegar, 

 and a little salt and cayenne. Break up the jelly 

 quite small with a whisk, stir the ingredients well 

 together, and whisk them till they are converted 

 into a smooth white sauce. It is best mixed over 



