Cream of Lobster

Fasten a wooden paper-covered foundation on a dish, having in its center a flat support two inches high, forming a step with a hole in the top. Decorate the bottom and interior of ten large timbale molds (No. 1, Fig. 137) with gherkins or truffles dipped in half-set jelly, coat the molds lightly with jelly, turning them around on ice. Suppress the shells from the tails and claws of three small cooked lobsters, split the claws in two lengthwise and readjust them with half-set jelly to their original shape; keep them on ice. Cut up the tail meats and pound them with a few spoonfuls of good veloute sauce (No. 415) reduced with mushroom liquor, and mix in two spoonfuls of the creamy parts from the bodies, also a dash of cayenne pepper; pass the whole through a tammy and pour the preparation into a vessel to smooth while stirring it vigorously with a spoon; incorporate into it slowly four gills of oil, two spoonfuls of tarragon vinegar and two gills of aspic jelly (No. 103); beat the preparation on ice to thicken, then mix in at once the value of three or four gills of unsweetened whipped cream. When finished, fill the small molds with this preparation and let it harden on ice; at the last moment dip each mold separately into hot water, wipe them off quickly and invert them on the bottom of the dish around the support; cover this latter with a coat of thick chopped jelly and stick an untrimmed hatelet in the hole on top; now dress the lobster claws upright in a triangle against the hatelet, placed there with the purpose of holding them up, and fasten them on with sticky jelly; brush them over with half-set jelly and surround the base with green parsley leaves or water cress. Arrange around the dish small, even triangles of jelly, cutting off the tips, and serve with mayonnaise sauce (No. 606).