crumb of 1 French roll, a little lobster-spawn, seasoning to taste, 2
quarts of medium stock, No. 105, or fish stock, No. 192.
_Mode_.--Shell the crayfish, and put the fish between two plates until
they are wanted; pound the shells in a mortar, with the butter and
anchovies; when well beaten, add a pint of stock, and simmer for 3/4 of
an hour. Strain it through a hair sieve, put the remainder of the stock
to it, with the crumb of the rolls; give it one boil, and rub it through
a tammy, with the lobster-spawn. Put in the fish, but do not let the
soup boil, after it has been rubbed through the tammy. If necessary, add
seasoning.
_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 2s. 3d. or 1s. 9d. per quart.
_Seasonable_ from January to July.
_Sufficient_ for 8 persons.
[Illustration: CRAYFISH.]
THE CRAYFISH.--This is one of those fishes that were highly
esteemed by the ancients. The Greeks preferred it when brought
from Alexandria, and the Romans ate it boiled with cumin, and
seasoned with pepper and other condiments. A recipe tells us,
that crayfish can be preserved several days in baskets with
fresh grass, such as the nettle, or in a bucket with about
three-eighths of an inch of water. More water would kill them,
because the large quantity of air they require necessitates the
water in which they are kept, to be continually renewed.
EEL SOUP.