Bisque of Crabs

Put twenty-four live crabs in cold water with a little salt, and leave them to soak for one hour, mince four ounces of carrot and the same quantity of onion, fry them in butter in a saucepan sufficiently large to contain all the crabs, add some parsley sprigs, thyme and bay leaf, season with salt, half a bottle of white wine and some white stock, then cover and cook for fifteen minutes; lift out the crabs, strain the broth, and set it aside to rest, pouring off the top twenty-five minutes later. Remove the shells from the crabs; pick out the lungs from both sides, wash each one separately in tepid water and suppress the small legs, then drain well and pound them to a paste with half their quantity of cooked rice, dilute this puree with some of the juice they were cooked in, drain through a sieve and then a tammy and mix in one pint of bechamel (No. 409). Season with salt and red pepper, heat up without boiling and just when ready to serve, incorporate therein a quarter of a pound of fine butter, stirring it well with a spoon until it be completely melted. Pour the very hot bisque into a soup tureen and serve separately a garnishing of pieces of bread cut into one quarter of an inch squares and fried in butter; divide them by putting six or eight in each separate soup-plate when serving.