A species of amphibious crustacean, oblong and wide or broad according to its kind; there is the sea, the fresh water, and the land crab. Generally the tail is bent under the belly, and the head not separated from the body. The body is covered with a hard shell frequently blackish in color; the meat is difficult to digest. The ordinary crabs that are used in New York, either hard or soft shelled are sea crabs.

(1001). Hard Shell Crabs Baked On A Dish (Crabes Durs Au Gratin Dans Un Plat)

After some large crabs have been cooked in a court bouillon, as for No. 1002, pick out all their meat, keeping it as whole as possible; put it into a sautoir with some allemande sauce (No. 407), and sliced mushrooms, also chopped parsley; mix well. Butter a silver dish, besprinkle it with bread-crumbs, and fill with the crab preparation, dredge bread-crumbs fried in butter on top, and lay the dish in the oven; when nicely browned, serve on a folded napkin.

(1002). Hard Shell Crabs, In Court Bouillon (Crabes Dure Au Court Bouillon)

Soak the crabs for a quarter of an hour in cold water containing a handful of salt; wash them nicely. Fry in butter some minced carrots, onions, and celery, with pepper-corns, thyme, bay leaf, and branches of parsley. Moisten with white wine and broth, throw in the crabs, and let boil for fifteen minutes, then dress them on a napkin and range branches of parsley around; pour the top of the stock from its sediment, reduce it with veloute sauce (No. 415), when ready to serve, work in some fine butter, and serve it separately.

Fig. 268.

(1003). Hard Shell Crabs, Stuffed, Carolina Style (Crabes Durs Farcis A La Caroline)

Fry colorless in butter some finely choppped onions; sprinkle over a little rice flour, fry again for a few minutes and moisten with milk; season with salt, red pepper, nutmeg, thyme, and powdered basil; add the crab meat, and half of its quantity of rice previously boiled in plenty of water, " Creole rice" (No. 1251); fill some clean crab shells with this preparation, until they are quite full and dome-shaped; dredge over with bread-crumbs, besprinkle with butter and brown in a hot oven, or the preparation may be dipped in beaten eggs, rolled in bread-crumbs and fried in hot fat.