Lobster patties

Paul Dombey’s christening feast in Dombey & Son includes a ‘cold preparation of calf’s head’, which, though not uncommon on a grand table at the time, still has a tinge of the macabre, appropriate for this icey Dombey occasion where the food ‘cold fowls—ham—patties—salad—lobster’ is luxurious but chilled. The Victorian patty (from the French for pastry) was a small version of the vol-au-vent case, which Eliza Acton commends as an elegant and economical way of using up leftovers.

SERVES 4

350g of ready-made

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puff pastry 250ml of fish or

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chicken stock 1 level dessertspoon

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of plain flour

250ml of single cream

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A few drops of lemon

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juice 1 cooked hen lobster,

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meat chopped and roe set aside Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/GAS mark 6. 1 To make the pastry cases, roll out the pastry to 12mm thick, taking care to keep it even so it rises evenly. Cut 6cm circles and transfer them into a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Dip a 3cm cutter into very hot water and use it to cut halfway through the pastry. Bake in the preheated oven for 10–15 minutes until well risen and golden brown. 2 To make the lobster sauce, boil the stock to reduce it by half. In a bowl, mix the flour with a tablespoon of cream, then stir in the rest. Gradually stir the warm stock into the cream mixture. Return it to the pan, add the lemon juice, and heat gently, stirring all the time, for about 5 minutes, until it is a thick coating consistency. Take it off the heat. Crush the lobster roe, add it to a tablespoon of the sauce, and beat together well. Add to the remainder of the white sauce and mix together. Add the chopped lobster meat. 3 Scoop out the lids of the patties using a sharp knife and trim the insides of the patties. Fill with the lobster sauce and serve warm.