No. 1778 — Rice with Crayfish Butter and Tails
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 1778 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Boil thirty crayfish, peel the tails and claw meat. Crush and dry the shells lightly, fry in three eighths pound butter and strain through muslin to obtain crayfish butter.
Reserve half a spoonful butter for sauce, and put the rest in a sauté pan.
Boil the shell remains with eight glasses water or light broth and herbs, then strain.
Rinse and dry one and a half glasses Carolina rice, fry gently in hot crayfish butter and gradually add four and a half glasses shellfish stock.
Salt, cover and cook until rice is fluffy. Mix in whole tails, minced claw meat and nutmeg.
Serve on a small dish, or put into a buttered sauté pan, smooth, sprinkle with cheese and bake briefly.
For sauce brown half a spoonful crayfish butter with a spoonful flour, dilute with two glasses reserved stock, boil and season with salt, nutmeg and dill.