This soup will be made with less difficulty if you cut off the head of the turtle the preceding day.

In the morning open the turtle: which is done by leaning heavily with your knife on the shell of the animal's back, whilst you cut it off all round. Turn it upright on its end, that all the water, etc, may run out. Then cut the flesh off along the spine, with your knife sloped towards the bones, for fear of touching the gall, which sometimes escapes the eye. When you have obtained all the flesh which is about the members, wash it clean and let it drain.

Have ready a large vessel full of boiling water on the fire, put in the shells, and when you perceive that they come off easily, take them out of the water, and prick all the shells of the back, belly, fins, head, etc. Boil the back and belly till you can take off the bones, without, however, allowing the softer parts to be sufficiently done, as they must boil again in the sauce. When these latter come off easily, lay them on earthen dishes singly, for fear they should stick together, and put them to cool. Keep the liquor in which you have blanched the softer parts, and let the bones stew thoroughly in it, as this liquor must be used to moisten the broth. All the flesh of the interior parts, the four legs and head, must be sweated in the following manner:of a very large stewpan. Lay over the ham two or three knuckles of veal, according to the size of the turtle, and over the veal the inside flesh of the turtle, and the members over the whole. Then partly moisten it with the water in which you have boiled the shell, and sweat it thoroughly. You can ascertain if:the meat be thoroughly done, by thrusting your knife into the fleshy part of the meat. If no blood issue, moisten it again with the liquor in which the bones, etc, have been boiling: put in a large bunch of all such sweet herbs as are used in the cooking of a turtle: sweet basil sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, winter savory, two or three bay-leaves, common thyme, a handful of parsley and green onions, and a large onion stuck with six cloves. Let the whole be thoroughly done. Observe that you must only put in the bunch of parsley and the stalks of the herbs, as you must keep the tender part of the leaves to make a puree of herbs, to introduce in the sauce when finished.

Lay a few slices of ham on the bottom

* In perfecting the above receipt for turtle soup, which the author can without vanity assert, is the best if not the only authentic and practical one in print, the author has bestowed his utmost care and attention. When in manuscript he obtained a very high price for it.

With respect to the members, probe them, to see whether they are done, and when done, drain and send them to the larder, as they are to make their appearance only when the sauce is absolutely completed.

When the flesh is also completely done, drain it on the dish, and make a white thickening, very thin, for turtle soup must not be much thickened; when the flour is sufficiently done on a slow fire, and has a good color, moisten it with the liquor drained through a silk sieve, and turn the sauce over the fire till it boils.

Ascertain that the sauce is neither too thick nor too thin, and then put the 6tewpan on the side of the stove, to skim off all the white scum, and all the fat and oil, that rise on the surface of the sauce. By this time all the softer parts will be cold enough; cut them about an inch or two square, without waste, throw the whole into the sauce, which must simmer gently. Then try them again; for if done enough, they are not to be kept on the fire any longer. Skim off all the fat and froth. Take all the leaves of the herbs from the stalks, sweet basil, sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, winter savory, common thyme, a handful of parsley and green onions, and a large onion cut in four pieces, with a few leaves of mace; put them in a stewpan. with about a quarter of a pound of fresh butter. Let this simmer on a slow fire, till they are quite melted, then pour in one bottle of good Madeira wine, adding a small bit of sugar, and let this boil gently for one hour. When done, rub this through a tammy, and put it into the sauce. Let this boil till no white scum rises: then take, with a skimmer, all the bits of turtle out of the sauce, and put them in a clean stewpan; when you have all out, pour the sauce over the bits of turtle, through a tammy, and proceed as follows:-

Make some quenelles a tortue (turtle quenelles), which being substitutes for eggs do not require to be very delicate. They are made in the following manner: Take out the fleshy part of a leg of veal, about one pound, scrape off all the meat, without leaving any sinews or fat, and soak in milk about the same quantity of crumbs of bread. When the bread is well soaked, squeeze it, and put it into a mortar with the veal, a small quantity of calf's udder, a little butter, the yolks of four eggs boiled hard, a little cayenne pepper, salt, and spices, and pound the whole very fine. Then thicken the mixture with two whole eggs, and the yolk of another.

Next try this farce or stuffing in boiling hot water, to ascertain its consistency; if you find it too thin, add the yolk of an egg. When the stuffing is perfect-

' ed, take half of it, and put into it some chopped parsley. Let the whole cool, in order to roll it of the size of the yolk of an egg or smaller: poach it in salt and boiling water, and when very hard drain on a sieve, and put it into the turtle. You must make two sorts of quenelles, white and green, those with parsley green, and the other half white.

Before you send up. squeeze the juice of two or three lemons, with a little cayenne pepper, and pour it into the soup. The fins may be served as a plat d'en-tree, or side dish, with a little turtle sauce; if not, on the following day you may warm the turtle in the hot-water bath, and serve the members entire with a matelotte sauce, garnished with mushrooms, cocks'-combs, quenelles, etc. "When either lemon-juice or cayenne pepper have been introduced, no boiling must take place. It is necessary to observe, that the turtle prepared a day before it is used is generally preferred, the flavor being more uniform. When lemon juice is used be very cautious that the lemons are good; a musty lemon will spoil all the turtle, and too much will destroy the flavor.

Be particular, when you dress a very large turtle, to preserve the green fat in a separate stewpan, and likewise, when the turtle is entirely done, to have as many tureens as you mean to serve each time. You cannot put the whole in a large vessel, for many reasons: first, it will be long in cooling; secondly, when you take some out, it will break all the rest into rags. If you warm in a hot-water bath, the turtle will always retain the same taste, but if you boil it often, it becomes strong and loses the delicacy of its flavor.

It is not the fashion to serve eggs with turtle, but it may be necessary to inquire whether they are preferred.

Some people require besides, frican-deaux, fricassees, etc, all of which are prepared in the same manner as veal, but made with those parts of flesh that are to be found in the turtle, four in number, two in the legs and two in the shoulders; you may likewise make blanquette, etc.