_Shrimp Sauce._--(No. 283.)

Shell a pint of shrimps; pick them clean, wash them, and put them into
half a pint of good melted butter. A pint of unshelled shrimps is about
enough for four persons.

_Obs._--Some stew the heads and shells of the shrimps, (with or without
a blade of bruised mace,) for a quarter of an hour, and strain off the
liquor to melt the butter with, and add a little lemon-juice, Cayenne,
and essence of anchovy, or soy, cavice, &c.; but the flavour of the
shrimp is so delicate, that it will be overcome by any such additions.

MEM.--If your shrimps are not quite fresh, they will eat tough and
thready, as other stale fish do. See _Obs._ to No. 140.

_Lobster Sauce._--(No. 284.)

Choose a fine spawny hen lobster;[236-*] be sure it is fresh, so get a
live one if you can, (one of my culinary predecessors says, "let it be
heavy and lively,") and boil it as No. 176; pick out the spawn and the
red coral into a mortar, add to it half an ounce of butter, pound it
quite smooth, and rub it through a hair-sieve with the back of a wooden
spoon; cut the meat of the lobster into small squares, or pull it to
pieces with a fork; put the pounded spawn into as much melted butter
(No. 256) as you think will do, and stir it together till it is
thoroughly mixed; now put to it the meat of the lobster, and warm it on
the fire; take care it does not boil, which will spoil its complexion,
and its brilliant red colour will immediately fade.

The above is a very easy and excellent manner of making this sauce.

Some use strong beef or veal gravy instead of melted butter, adding
anchovy, Cayenne, catchup, cavice, lemon-juice, or pickle, or wine, &c.

_Obs._--Save a little of the inside red coral spawn, and rub it through
a sieve (without butter): it is a very ornamental garnish to sprinkle
over fish; and if the skin is broken, (which will sometimes happen to
the most careful cook, when there is a large dinner to dress, and many
other things to attend to,) you will find it a convenient and elegant
veil, to conceal your misfortune from the prying eyes of piscivorous
_gourmands_.

N.B. Various methods have been tried to preserve lobsters, see No. 178,
and lobster spawn, for a store sauce. The live spawn may be kept some
time in strong salt and water, or in an ice-house.

The following process might, perhaps, preserve it longer. Put it into a
saucepan of boiling water, with a large spoonful of salt in it, and let
it boil