Semels Of Turtles

Cut the lean flesh of the turtle into round pieces about the size and thickness of a crown-piece ; put about a quarter of a pound of fresh butter into a stewpan, with pepper and salt, chopped mushrooms, parsley, knotted and sweet marjoram, and a very little basil; set the stewpan on a stove to melt the butter, then let it get three parts cold, and put some clarified butter in a souties-pan; dip the turtle first in the butter and herbs, and then in bread crumbs; put it on the souties-pan, and then on the stove. to finish : dish them round the dish, and the sauce in the middle.

A Souties Of Liver Of Turtle

Butter a souties-pan, sprinkle it with fine herbs, chopped truffles, and put a glass of Madeira wine on it ; cut the liver in slices, and lay them on the souties-pan; sprinkle them with pepper and salt, turn them, and the liver will do in a very short time ; put it round the dish ; put the kidney and hearts in the middle, and piquant sauce over them : scrape the herbs from the souties-pan into the sauce.

Turtle

Tie a cord to the hind fins of the turtle, and hang it up; then tie another cord to the fore fins, by way of pinioning it, (that it should not beat itself, and be troublesome to the person who cuts off the head); then cut off the head, (this do the evening before you intend dressing-it), and lay the turtle on a block, on the back shell; then loose the shell round the edge, by cutting it; then raise the shell clean off from the flesh, next take out the gall with great care; then cut the fore fins off; all the flesh will come with them ; then cut the hind fins off ; take the liver (as whole as you can) from the entrails; likewise the heart and kidneys ; then cut the entrails round the back bone, and put them in a bucket; wash the shell in several waters, to clean it from the blood, and turn it down to drain; in the meantime, cut the fins from the lean meat, and cut the white, or belly shell, into about twelve or fourteen pieces; turn up the back shell, and take all the fat from it, (take it out the same as if you were skinning any thing), and put it into a stewpan; saw the rim of the back shell about six inches deep, (a strong lock-saw is what should be used), and cut it into about ten or twelve pieces; set the large stewpan on the lire full of water, and, when it comes to a boil, dip a fin in it for a minute or two; then take it out and peel it very clean; when that is done, take another; and so on, until all are done; then the head; next the shell, piece by piece; be careful to take off all the outside peel and shell ; then put the shell into a stewpan, with about eighteen large onions and a faggot of turtle herbs; till it up with Water, and set it on the fire to boil; when it comes to a boil, set it at the fireside to boil slow until it becomes quite tender; next cut the fore fins into four pieces each, the hind fins into two each, and put them into a stewpan that will just hold them ; put twelve onions and a faggot of turtle herbs; put as much water as will cover the tins, and set them on a stove; when it comes to a boil, set it at the fire-side to boil until the fins become tender, so that all the bones will draw out; take up the fins and draw all the bones with great care; then take up the other parts, and do the same; do not mix them, but lay them on different dishes; strain the liquor that both were boiled in into one pan; cut off the lean meat, for entres, such as for fricandeau, grenadines, collops, for roasting; boiling, as chickens, pates, cutlets, and se-mels; then put about a pound of fresh butter into a soup-pot, and all the lean meat that is left, three fowls, a faggot of turtle herbs, a dozen of onions, two pounds of lean ham, (this should be put at the bottom of the pot, and a bottle of Madeira wine); set the pot on the stove to draw down; be careful in not having too fierce a fire; when it has steamed for an hour, fill up the pot with the liquor that the fins and shell were boiled in ; when it comes to a boil, take the pot from the trivet, and set it at the side to boil very slow for two hours ; then strain it off, pick what lean meat you want for the tureens, and put it in a stewpan, with a little of the Stock, to keep it hot: when the stock is boiling, set a person to scour and scald the entrails; you must be particular in seeing that they are very clean ; then cut them in pieces about two inches long; put them on to blanch in cold water; then wash them out, and cover the bottom of a stewpan with fat bacon; put in the entrails, about a quart of stock, a few onions, and cover them over with sheets of bacon, and over that a sheet of white paper; let them stew very gently for three hours; put in two lemons that have been peeled, and cut in slices, before they are covered with the bacon; the liver is best as a souties; the head belongs to the fins; put two pounds of butter into a stewpan, with a pound of the best Westphalia ham, cut very fine, some chopped mushrooms, truffles, shalot, parsley (double the quantity of any other herbs), sweet marjoram, knotted ditto, lemon and orange thyme, common thyme, basil (about half as much as of the other herbs), a Spanish onion, and a pint of good stock; set the stew-pan over a slow stove to simmer for an hour, then put a plateful of flour; keep stirring it about for a few minutes over the fire, then put in the turtle stock (by a little at a time, as, were it all put in at once, you could not mix the flour so well), and four or five quarts of good stock, or as much as yon think will be wanted, and one bottle of Madeira; let it boil for a few minutes, then rub it through a tammy, return it into a soup-pot, and callipee and callipash with it; cut it in pieces of about two inches square, or thereabouts ; put the fins into another soup-pot, and some of the turtle-soup with them; put force-meat and egg-balls to both; the green fat should be boiled by itself in stock, and a little Madeira wine; when done, cut it in small pieces, and put it to the soup; season the soup with Cayenne pepper and a little fine spice; be careful in using Cayenne pepper, as it is easy for the company to add a little, if necessary ; squeeze four lemons and three Seville oranges into a bason, and put a pint of Madeira wine, a table-spoonful of sifted sugar, and a little salt, if wanted; put time parts to the soup, and the other to the fins; this should not he put in until a few minutes before dishing time; he careful that it does not hod after the lemon is put in; if the shell is sent up to table, put a rim of hot paste round it; ornament it as fancy directs; put it in the oven with a little of the turtle stock ; when sent to ta-ble fill it as you would a tureen; put what lean meat you have in the tureens, before the soup; if the lean meal is put to the soup, it is apt to boil to pieces, and spoil the look of the turtle; if the turtle is for meagre, use either fowl, veal, or ham; but none of the lean meat can he spared for made dishes, as it will all he wanted for the soup.