Indian Lobster-Cutlets

Instructions

1. Select lobsters of good size and take out the tails entire. (In India these cutlets are made from the flesh of prawns, which are there of enormous size; lobsters, unless quite overgrown, answer as well or better. It is an advantage to have the lobsters little more than parboiled.)
2. Slice the tails about the third of an inch thick.
3. Dip them into beaten egg, then into very fine crumbs of bread seasoned rather highly with cayenne and moderately with salt, grated nutmeg and pounded mace. Egg and crumb them twice, pressing the bread onto them with the blade of a knife.
4. When all are ready, fry them quickly in good butter to a light brown. Serve them as dry as possible, arranged in a chain round a hot dish.
5. For the sauce: heat the flesh of the claws in some rich melted butter, flavoured with a tablespoonful of essence of anchovies, one of strong chili vinegar, a little salt and mace, and coloured with the coral of the fish should they contain any. Pour it into the centre of the dish, or send it to table in a tureen.
6. A few shrimps may be added with good effect, or the sauce may be made of shrimps entirely, whole or pounded. In either case they should only be heated in it and not allowed to boil.
7. East or West Indian mangoes, or other hot pickle, should accompany the dish.
8. Alternative: the cutlets may be dipped into light French batter and fried, but the egg and bread-crumbs are somewhat preferable. Herbs can be added to the crumbs at pleasure; Acton does not recommend them.