Cucumber-Rice Ring with Stuffed Lobster

Pair this cucumber topped rice salad with stuffed lobster for a party meal.

Makes 8 servings.

Cucumber Layer:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons salt
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cucumber, sliced thin

Rice Salad Layer:
8 cups cooked rice (2 cups uncooked)
2 cups chopped celery
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped pimientos
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped stuffed green olives
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cream for whipping
2 cups mayonnaise or salad dressing
STUFFED LOBSTER (recipe follows)
Lettuce
Lemon slices

Procedure:
1. Make cucumber layer: Mix gelatin, sugar and salt in 2 cups measure; stir in boiling water until gelatin is dissolved; stir in lemon juice.Chill until syrupy-thick.
2. Place a 12 cup mold in a large bowl of ice and water; pour 1/2 cup syrupy gelatin into mold; arrange a ring of cucumber slices, overlapping, on top. Let layer set until sticky-firm, then carefully spoon remaining syrupy gelatin over; chill until sticky-firm.
3. Make rice-salad layer: Combine rice, celery, eggs, green pepper, pimientos, parsley and olives in large bowl.
4. Soften gelatin with salt in water in a 1 cup measure;heat over hot water until dissolved; cool.
5. Beat cream until stiff in medium-size bowl; fold in mayonnaise or salad dressing; stir in cooled gelatin mixture until well blended; fold into rice mixture. Spoon over 12 hours or over night.
6. To unmold, run a sharp-tip thin-blade knife around top of mold, then dip mold very quickly in and out of a pan of hot water. Or, after loosening around top of mold, tip mold from side to side, shaking gently to loosen gelatin from side enough to break vacuum at bottom. Cover mold with serving platter; turn upside down, then gently lift off mold.
7. Arrange Stuffed Lobster on lettuce around mold; tuck in lemon slices.