The 1901 Cookbook Archive
No. 324 — Book-Shaped Puff Pies with Crayfish Filling
English editorial translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 324 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, with historical measures, method and source.
Take twenty boiled crayfish and remove the tail meat and larger leg meat. Chop finely.
Fry one spoonful of flour in a spoonful of crayfish butter, add about two spoonfuls of sour cream, salt and nutmeg, then bring to the boil.
Stir in the chopped crayfish tails and legs. When cooled, beat in two egg yolks and warm while stirring; as soon as it thickens, fill book-shaped puff pastries and bake as in No. 305.
To provide
20 crayfish and ⅛ Russian pound of crayfish butter 1 spoonful of flour and about 2 of sour cream Salt, nutmeg and 2 egg yolks | For puff pastry: ½ Russian pound of butter, 2 glasses of flour 1 egg for brushing |
Historical editorial note: The directions measure crayfish butter by spoonful, while the printed ingredient table gives ⅛ Russian pound. Modern seafood and egg cooking standards take precedence.
Original source: Read Russian recipe No. 324. Historical quantities and terminology from the 1901 book are retained; see the measurements guide. Period food handling and storage directions do not supersede modern safety standards.