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Forcemeat Balls for Fish Soups or Stews
336. Beat the flesh and soft parts of a middling lobster, half an anchovy, a large piece of boiled cclery, the yolk of a hard egg, a little cayenne, mace, salt, and white pepper, with two table-spoonsful of bread crumbs, and one of oyster liquor, two ounces of butter warmed, and two eggs long beaten; make into balls, and fry of a fine brown in butter.
A lobster forcemeat meant to be dropped into fish soup or stew, or fried and served alongside it. The whole thing hinges on the binding: two whole eggs plus melted butter to only two spoons of crumbs gives a very loose mixture, so expect to add crumbs until it will hold a shape.
- Bind first, then judgeMix everything and chill the mass for 20-30 minutes before shaping. If it still slumps, work in crumbs a spoonful at a time; a test ball fried in butter will tell you whether it holds together before you commit the batch.
- A "middling" lobsterProbably something in the region of a 1 to 1.5 lb whole lobster, which will give perhaps 4 to 6 oz of picked meat. The "soft parts" are the green tomalley and any red coral, which carry much of the flavour.
- TomalleyThe tomalley is the hepatopancreas and concentrates contaminants and marine biotoxins. Current advice is to eat it sparingly or leave it out; the forcemeat works on the tail and claw meat alone, with a little extra cayenne to compensate.
- Half an anchovyThis means half a salt-cured anchovy from the barrel or jar, not half a tin. One oil-packed fillet, rinsed and mashed, is the modern equivalent; a scant half teaspoon of anchovy paste does the same job.
- Boiled celeryA "large piece" is probably something like two or three stalks, simmered until fully soft, then squeezed dry and chopped fine. Undercooked celery leaves stringy threads through the forcemeat and wet celery will loosen the bind further.
- Oyster liquorThe strained natural liquid from shucked oysters. Bottled clam juice, or the liquid from a jar of oysters, substitutes directly; a tablespoon of fish stock with a pinch of salt is close enough.
- Mace and "two eggs long beaten"Mace is the outer coat of nutmeg, usually described as warmer and less sharp than the seed; about a quarter teaspoon, ground, suits this quantity. "Long beaten" means simply beaten thoroughly, until frothy.
- FryingClarified butter, or half butter and half neutral oil, at around 340F is easiest to control. The recipe calls for plain butter, which browns fast, so watch the heat; fry in batches, about 3-4 minutes, turning.
- Yield and servingRoughly two dozen balls the size of a walnut, enough to garnish soup for six. The recipe fries them, but if they are going into a stew they can instead be poached in the simmering broth for 4-5 minutes; do not let the liquid boil hard or they will break up.