| 1 | (amounts are approximate: the above measurement should be increased or decreased depending on the size of the lobster. |
| 2 | You want about a cup of sauce per two people). |
| 3 | Thackeray"s original follows: . |
| 4 | "you take a lobster, about three feet long if possible, remove the shell, cut or break the flesh of the fish in pieces not too small. |
| 5 | Someone else meanwhile makes a mixture of mustard, vinegar, catsup and lots of cayenne pepper. |
| 6 | You produce a machine called a "despatcher" which has a spirit lamp underneath it that is usually illuminated with whiskey." (he appears to be talking about a chafing dish with a pretty aggressive flame). |
| 7 | "the lobster, the sauce, and near half-a-pound of butter are placed in the despatcher, which is immediately closed. |
| 8 | When boiling, the mixture is stirred up, the lobster being sure to heave about the pan in a convulsive manner, while it emits a remarkable rich and agreeable odour through the apartment. |
| 9 | A glass and a half of sherry is now thrown into the pan, and the contents served out hot, and eaten by the company. |
| 10 | Porter (i.e. |
| 11 | Stout) is commonly drunk, and whisly-punch afterwards, and the dish is fit for an emperor."?. |
| 12 | Unfortunately the day of inexpensive three-foot-long lobsters has passed, even in ireland (lobsters of this size are still taken off the west coast, however). |
| 13 | In modern terms: clean and shell the lobster as indicated above. |
| 14 | Mix the mustard, vinegar, catsup and cayenne to taste (some people might prefer to cut the sourness of the vinegar by substituting a half-and-half mixture of vinegar and dry white wine). |
| 15 | Melt the butter in a large saucepan, saute the lobster briefly in it, not allowing it to color at all; then add the mustard/vinegar/cayenne mixture, mix well, cover, and allow to stew over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. |
| 16 | Boiled new potatoes would go very well with this, or baked potatoes, or plain buttered rice. |
| 17 | Thackeray and his friends seem to have not eaten anything else with the dish, but they seem to have drunk a great deal; he remarks in the next paragraph of the excerpt on ways to deal with the hangover.... |
