Turban of Lobsters Garnished with Shells

Kill the lobsters by plunging them into boiling water for one minute; suppress the tail shells and cut up the tail meat into transversal slices a quarter of an inch thick, and dress them crown-shaped on a ring made of raw pike quenelle forcemeat (No. 90), alternating each slice with one of truffles and mushrooms; cover this crown with a veloute sauce (No. 416) well-reduced with court bouillon and wine (No. 419); dredge over with bread-crumbs and grated parmesan cheese, and besprinkle with butter; brown it in the oven and then garnish the center of the turban with a garnishing of mushrooms; pour over these a lobster sauce (No. 488) with some cayenne pepper added, and garnish around the turban with small shells filled with lobster and cream bechamel. Prepare as follows: Put into a bowl half a pound of lobster meat cut in quarter-inch squares, and the third of its quantity of cooked mushrooms cut exactly the same. Reduce a pint of bechamel sauce (No. 409) with some of the mushroom broth and cream; mix it in with the salpicon, season with nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper, and use this preparation to fill some scallop or silver shells (Fig. 438) previously buttered and bread-crumbed; when they are all full, strew over more breadcrumbs and parmesan, besprinkle with butter, and brown them in a hot oven, or else with a red-hot shovel, or under a gas salamander (Fig. 123).