This is served at many fashionable dinners and late suppers. Terrapins belong to the turtle family and are found from Rhode Island to the Gulf of Mexico. They vary considerably in size and quality in different localities. The finest in winter are very expensive, sometimes costing from twenty-five to fifty dollars a dozen in the Northern markets, although they are often to be had for one-fourth that cost. In the South they are comparatively cheap and are larger than those found in the North. There are two ways of killing terrapin. In the North, if the terrapin is small, it is boiled the same as a lobster; but in the South the head is cut off and the terrapin placed in cold water for half an hour, to draw out the blood, after which it is boiled. The time of boiling varies with the age of the terrapin. If young, it will cook in half an hour, but old ones require to boil fully two hours before they are tender.

Cooking And Cleaning Terrapin

If the large Southern variety is used, cut off the head and let the terrapin lie in cold water half an hour, then drop it into boiling water and cook for ten minutes. Pour off the water, and cover the terrapin with cold water, letting it stand until cool enough to handle easily; then take it up, and with a towel rub the nails and black skin from the legs. Wash the terrapin carefully, place it in a stew-pan with enough boiling water to cover, and cook until the flesh is tender, which will be when the joints of the legs can be broken with a slight pressure, and the shell will separate easily. Remove from the water, and after it has cooled a little, place the terrapin on its back, with the head away from you, and loosen and remove the under shell. The liver, gall, bladder and sand-bag will be found near the head end, the gall being attached to the left side of the liver. Take out the gall as you would that of a chicken, being very careful not to break it. If such an accident occur, the entire terrapin will be ruined, so there should be extra care at this point of the work. All that remains is used for food. Take out the eggs, if there are any, remove the slight membrane that is around them, and drop them into cold water. Cut all the meat very fine (the intestines finer than any part), and save any water that may collect in the shells. The terrapin is now ready to use in a stew or in other ways. It is most commonly served stewed.

Stewed Terrapin

Two terrapins.

Three table-spoonfuls of butter.

One pint of cream.

One-half pint of sherry or Maderia.

One-half cupful of water.

Six eggs (yolks).

Two tea-spoonfuls of salt.

One-fifth of a tea-spoonful of pepper.

One-tenth of a tea-spoonful of mace.

One-tenth of a tea-spoonful of allspice.

One-half of a lemon.

Put the finely cut terrapin in a stew-pan with the water and butter, the juices that have collected in the shells and the salt, pepper and spices, and let all simmer gently for fifteen minutes. Boil the six eggs fifteen minutes, remove the yolks, mash them very fine, and gradually mix the cream with them. Add this mixture to the stew, and also the sherry, the eggs of the terrapin, and the lemon thinly sliced. Let the stew stand where it will become well heated, but do not let it boil, or the cream will break. Serve while hot.

Silver-plated saucepans holding half a pint each are used for serving this rare dish. One kind is in the shape of a terrapin, the other round, with a straight handle and a tightly fitting cover.