First wash and wipe the lemons, then ent them lengthwise in four, to serve either with oysters or fried fish.

Channeled slices of lemon are made by cutting small notches on the lemon lengthways of the peel, then cutting the lemon in crosswise slices an eighth of an inch thick. These are used for garnishing broiled fish. Slices of lemon cut the same way without being channeled, are frequently served with tea.

Halved lemons are prepared by paring off the two ends and then make sixteen notches in the center, the third of the length of the lemon with the tip of a small knife; these gashes should be very regular; run the knife through as far as the center, having eight cuts to the right and eight to the left, this makes eight long triangles; detach the lemon in two parts (Fig. 60). These are used also for cold fish and hatelets or skewers (Fig. 61).

Fig. 60.

Fig. 61.

Shells of lemon can also be made, making two shells from one lemon. Cut from the center of the lemon, beginning at the stalk, as far as the middle of one side and from the other end of the lemon as far as the middle of the other side, about one half inch of the peel, without detaching it; cut across the lemon, keeping the ribbon of the peel intact, thus producing two identical pieces; these halved shells are used for garnishing fried fishes such as sole a la Colbert, etc.