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Lobster au naturel (homards au naturel)

Erken's "Lobster au naturel" (1914): 6 lobsters are boiled and cooled in the cooking water, split, and arranged on an oblong platter around a bread base with a silver skewer holding lettuce, crayfish, and empty lobster shells. The heads are stood up against the base, and the tail pieces are laid in a ring. Garnished with lemon, lettuce, and tomatoes filled with mayonnaise. Served with oil, vinegar, mustard, paprika, and lettuce, or mayonnaise in a separate bowl.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 143 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

A showpiece from the era of festive fare: the lobster is arranged around a bread base with a silver skewer, crayfish, and empty shells as decoration. Such "au naturel" presentations belonged to the cold buffets of well-to-do Norwegian homes around 1914.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Boil the lobster

    Boil the lobster as described: place it head first into strongly boiling, well-salted water, boil hard for 5 minutes, and then let it simmer about 30–45 minutes depending on size. Skim as you go.

  2. 2

    Cool

    Leave the lobster in the cooking water until completely cooled. Take it out and rub or brush the shell with a little butter or oil for a shiny gloss.

  3. 3

    Split it

    Split the lobster by cutting through on the underside. Remove the stomach and intestinal tract.

  4. 4

    Set up the platter

    Place a bread base in the middle of an oblong, somewhat deep platter. Push a silver skewer through the lettuce heart leaves, a crayfish, more lettuce, and a couple of empty lobster shells, and down through the bread base.

  5. 5

    Arrange the lobster

    Stand the lobster heads up against the bread base so they support each other, and lay the tail pieces in a ring from the heads out toward the edge of the platter.

  6. 6

    Garnish

    Garnish the platter with lemon, lettuce leaves, and tomatoes filled with mayonnaise.

  7. 7

    Serve

    Serve olive oil, vinegar, mustard, paprika, and lettuce on the side—or mayonnaise in a separate sauce bowl.

Changes from the original

Quantities are estimated for the accompaniments, which appear without measures in the original. "Salad oil" has been modernized to olive oil, and the crayfish and empty shells are kept as optional garnish. The boiling refers to Erken's own lobster-boiling method (hard boil for 5 minutes, then simmer 30–45 minutes depending on size).

Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

Velg to utgaver og se hva Henriette Schønberg Erken la til, fjernet eller endret mellom dem.

Fra19141949Modernisert
Til19141949Modernisert
1914 (korrekturlest, s. 143) → 1949 (korrekturlest, s. 172)~42% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til
6 hummere (Homard au naturel.) 4 hummer salatolje eddik sennep paprika salat. Hummerne kokes som forklaret; forklart; avkjøles i vandet, hvori de er kokt. vannet. Deles op, idet de gjennemskjæres paa på den indvendige innvendige side. Paa På et avlangt, litt dypt fat, lægges fat legges en brødsokkel midt paa på fatet. Et sølvspyd stikkes igjennem hjertebladene av salat, en krebs, kreps, salat igjen og et par tomme hummerskal hummerskall ned igjennem brødsokkelen. Hummerhoderne Hummerhofedene anbringes mot brødsokkelen, staaende stående op mot hverandre; halestykkerne lægges halestykknene legges omkring fra hoderne ut mot hodene utmot kanten av fatet. Fatet pyntes med citron, sitron, salat, samt tomater fyldt fylt med mayonnaise. majones. Til hummer au naturel serveres salatolje, eddik, sennep, paprika og salat, eller man serverer mayonnaise majones i særskilt sauseskaal. sauseskål.

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Frequently asked questions

What does "au naturel" mean here?
That the lobster is served boiled and cooled, without sauce over it—the accompaniments (salad oil, vinegar, mustard, paprika, and lettuce, and optionally mayonnaise) are set alongside in separate bowls.
How is the lobster prepared before plating?
The lobsters are boiled as described in the cookbook and cooled in the cooking water. Then they are cut up by slicing through them on the underside.
How is the dish arranged on the platter?
A bread base is placed in the middle of an oblong, somewhat deep platter. A silver skewer is pushed through lettuce heart leaves, a crayfish, more lettuce, and a couple of empty lobster shells, down through the bread base. The lobster heads are stood up against each other by the base, and the tail pieces are laid around toward the platter's edge. Garnished with lemon, lettuce, and tomatoes filled with mayonnaise.
How many lobsters are needed?
The recipe is intended for 6 servings and uses 6 lobsters—one per person. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 143.

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