Hard Shell Crabs, Stuffed with Mushrooms and Deviled

To obtain one pound of crab meat it is necessary to have twenty crabs; soak them for a quarter of an hour in water with a handful of salt added, wash them and boil for fifteen minutes; let get cold and remove the shells which are to be well washed and dried. Take off all the small legs and the lungs; wash the crabs singly, and pick out all the meat obtainable; chop up either two onions or one ounce of shallot for every pound of crab meat; fry them colorless in butter; add a quart of bechamel (No. 409) reduced with cream, the crab meat, salt, red pepper and nutmeg; do not have the preparation too soft, and with it fill the shells dome-shaped, about four ounces in each; dip them entirely into bread-crumbs, sprinkle over melted butter, and lay them on tin rings to avoid the crabs touching the bottom of the pan; brown in a hot oven, and dress on napkins with parsley around.

With Mushrooms.—Prepare the crabs as the above. Fry a little shallot in butter, mix in as much flour as the butter can absorb and cook to obtain a light roux; moisten this with half cream and half milk, seasoning properly, then add the crab meat and half the same quantity of mushrooms cut in small three-sixteenths of an inch squares; boil up once; set it in a vessel and use this preparation for stuffing the crabs; finish and serve the same sauce as with the other crabs. This cream sauce can be replaced by reduced veloute (No. 415) and thickened whith egg-yolks and cream.

Deviled and Stuffed.—The crabs are to be prepared as above. Before sprinkling with crumbs, cover the top of the crab preparation with mustard; cover with bread-crumbs, and sprinkle butter on top; brown in a hot oven, and dress on napkins, garnishing with green parsley.