Home › The Principles of Cookery › Crab, Supreme of, with Tomatoes

Crab, Supreme of, with Tomatoes

Extract from a crab of goodly size the flesh of the claws, etc., and the rich parts of the body, taking care to eliminate the (grey) lungs and every portion of the shell. To each pound of crab-meat add the following ingredients. One-third of a pound of stale and well-shredded bread-crumbs, free from every particle of crust; one-third of a pint (about an ordinary sauce bottle) of English tomato sauce, or, that not being readily obtainable, a similar quantity of French "conserve tomate"; the juice of half a lemon, the peel of same (cut to a thickness not greater than that of a sheet of heavy notepaper) in very small fragments, and ten or a dozen thin slices of lemon; salt and pepper to taste; cayenne pepper is often used, but sparingly, as some object to it, or it may be omitted altogether, and added at table by those liking it; one wineglass of Chablis or dry sherry. Simmer for a quarter of an hour, stirring frequently, and adding more wine if there is any tendency to burn. This depends on the dryness of the crab, which is variable (the best crabs are heavy, and rather dry; poor crabs are watery). Then bring once to a boil, immediately thereafter turning out the ragout into a deep dish, ornamented at the edges with alternate triangular sippets of dry toast and half slices of lemon. The result is a beautiful pink, creamy-looking plat, the slices of cool yellow lemon contrasting with the warmer tints. Probable cost, 2s. 6d.