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By Root 936 0

claws. Cut the bodies in half and extract the meat. With a pair of sharp kitchen shears cut the shell of each tail so that the meat may be removed in one piece. Keep the claws whole for decoration. Slice the lobster meat from the tail into even scallops.

Pour the aspic into a mold (a ring mold, a decorative tail mold, or a flat mold — anything you choose) and place it in a large bowl filled with cracked ice. When the aspic has formed a thin film on the mold, gently pour off the rest of the jelly. Blend a little of this with mayonnaise and chill for several minutes.

On the aspic film in the mold make a decorative pattern with slices of truffle, stuffed olives, and black olives. You may cut these into fancy shapes if you wish and you may add slices of hard-cooked egg and pimiento. Arrange bits of tarragon in the decoration. Dip the scallops of lobster meat in the jellied mayonnaise and place them in the mold. If it is a ring mold overlap them in a circle; if it is a flat mold use a flat design. Pour the remaining jelly over all until the mold is full. Chill.

Russian salad. Cook the potatoes and vegetables until they are just tender. Combine them with mayonnaise that has been mixed with a little of the jelly. Taste for seasoning and chill.

When ready to serve, place a bed of greens on a large platter and unmold the aspic on this. Place the Russian salad in the center of a ring mold or around the edge of a flat mold. Decorate with the lobster claws. Serve with additional mayonnaise.

Lobster Salads

TRADITIONAL LOBSTER SALAD

To my mind, this simple traditional salad is far better than many more complicated combinations.

Greens (lettuce or romaine)

2 cups diced lobster meat

Mayonnaise

Hard-cooked eggs

Capers

Line a bowl with greens. Mix the lobster meat with mayonnaise and heap it in the bowl. Garnish with quartered hard-cooked eggs and capers.

VARIATION

Add 1 cup diced celery.

SALADE PARISIENNE

2 cups mixed cooked vegetables

2 cups lobster meat, diced

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Onion juice

Mayonnaise

Greens

10 scallops of lobster meat

Hard-cooked eggs

Cut the vegetables (green beans, carrots, potatoes, tiny French peas) very fine and cook in salted water until they are just tender. Drain and cool. Mix them with the lobster, season to taste with salt, pepper, and onion juice, and bind with mayonnaise. Line a bowl with greens and arrange the salad on top. Decorate with the scallops of lobster meat and slices of hard-cooked egg.

VARIATION

This salad may be jellied. Make an aspic. Combine a little of it with mayonnaise. Line a mold with some of the aspic, fill with the salad into which you have stirred the mayonnaise-aspic mixture. Cover with more aspic. Chill and serve with additional mayonnaise.

ENGLISH GARDEN PARTY SALAD

3 cups lobster meat, coarsely diced

1 cup sliced cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced

1 cup pickled mushroom caps

Mayonnaise

Greens

Asparagus tips

Combine the lobster, cucumber, and the mushroom caps with mayonnaise. Arrange a bed of greens on a platter and place the salad on top. Garnish with asparagus tips.

NOTE: If you cook your own lobster for this dish, you can use the claws as an added garnish.

LOBSTER SALAD RÉMOULADE

2 cups lobster meat, diced

1 cup shredded celery root

Rémoulade sauce (page 35)

Greens

Hard-cooked eggs

Combine lobster, celery root, and rémoulade. Arrange on a bed of greens and decorate with hard-cooked eggs.

COUPE D’AVOCADO À LA RITZ

1/2 cup lobster, diced

1 cup crabmeat

1 tablespoon tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1/2 teaspoon each of chopped tarragon, chervil, chives

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon chili sauce

1 avocado, halved and pitted

Greens

Combine all the ingredients except the avocado and greens. Arrange beds of greens on two plates. Place an avocado half on each plate and fill with the salad mixture. Garnish with additional mayonnaise.

Mussels

The mussel is a rock-clinging mollusk with