Title: Thackeray's Lobster (Irish)
Categories: Irish Fish
Yield: 4 Servings
| 1 | | Very large lobster |
| 1/2 | lb | Butter |
| 1 | tb | Mustard |
| 1 | tb | Catsup |
| 1 | c | Vinegar (white wine if poss) |
| | | Cayenne pepper to taste |
(Amounts are approximate: the above measurement should be increased or
decreased depending on the size of the lobster. You want about a cup of
sauce per two people.) Thackeray's original follows: . "You take a
lobster, about three feet long if possible, remove the shell, cut or break
the flesh of the fish in pieces not too small. Someone else meanwhile
makes a mixture of mustard, vinegar, catsup and lots of cayenne pepper. You
produce a machine called a "despatcher" which has a spirit lamp underneath
it that is usually illuminated with whiskey." (He appears to be talking
about a chafing dish with a pretty aggressive flame.) "The lobster, the
sauce, and near half-a-pound of butter are placed in the despatcher, which
is immediately closed. When boiling, the mixture is stirred up, the
lobster being sure to heave about the pan in a convulsive manner, while it
emits a remarkable rich and agreeable odour through the apartment. A glass
and a half of sherry is now thrown into the pan, and the contents served
out hot, and eaten by the company. Porter (i.e. stout) is commonly drunk,
and whisly-punch afterwards, and the dish is fit for an emperor. .
Unfortunately the day of inexpensive three-foot-long lobsters has passed,
even in Ireland (lobsters of this size are still taken off the west coast,
however). In modern terms: Clean and shell the lobster as indicated
above. Mix the mustard, vinegar, catsup and cayenne to taste (some people
might prefer to cut the sourness of the vinegar by substituting a
half-and-half mixture of vinegar and dry white wine). Melt the butter in a
large saucepan, saute the lobster briefly in it, not allowing it to color
at all; then add the mustard/vinegar/cayenne mixture, mix well, cover, and
allow to stew over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Boiled new potatoes
would go very well with this, or baked potatoes, or plain buttered rice.
Thackeray and his friends seem to have not eaten anything else with the
dish, but they seem to have drunk a great deal; he remarks in the next
paragraph of the excerpt on ways to deal with the hangover....