Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-02

taken while in this wild state, and after their
capture tho never know the taste of food.
They are packed in barrels, which they leave
only to drop into the pot You can put q
.errapin in a bureau drawer and keep it there
for two or three months without its suffering
the slightest harm or even making a move
ment, providing light is never admitted 70 its
hiding place. The way to keep them. however,
which prefer, is to place them in dark cellar
and cover them with sea grass, which should
De Kept continually dampened.
MECH IN THE COOKING.
But. after all, the terrapin does not furnish a
very desirable morsel unless it falls into the
hands OF one who knows how to properly sac
rlnee It on the culinary altar. Whether you
nhu the dish delicious or not depends entirely
upon the manner in which il has been pre-
pared L have heard many men who were
oaherNise sensible pronounce stewed terrapin
an uhll'lting and even nauseating compound
In almost all such cases have found that they
hau eaten II IN establishments that make
chlcken croquettes out of veal and deviled
CRABS from corn meal, potatoes. and lobster
meat. Many restaurants, in fact, that profess
to be reputable use the livers OF the big
slider turtles in preparing terrapin and there
are very few, In fact that do not buy the small
tough bull terrapin of Long Island, which they
can purchase for from sc to 50 dozen, aud
mix their meat with that of few fat cows or
heifers
The. highest price demanded for terrapin
from any locality is for what are known AZ
counts, meaning thereby turtles which meas
ure not less than five inches across the lower
smell. l,howeyer. prefer heifers measuring about
fourinches. While they ordinarily do not contain
as many eggs as their larger sisters vet their
meat Is much more tender. The actual cook
ing of the terrapin Is simplicity ITSELF They
are SIMPLY thrown into boiling water and you
can tell when they have been there sufficiently
long by feeling the claws between thumb and
nnger. and If this pressure breaks the meat il
Is time to remove the pot from the range. To
allow 1t to remain there longer makes the meat
strlngy, condition which, am sorry to say.
Is frequently found. The boiled terrapin can
easily be opened with a knife After this
course of treatment the meat should be picked
out, care being exercised in the vicinity of the
gall bag, the breaking of which would destroy
entirely the flavor of the dish The Joints
should be cut with pair of sharp scissors in
order to leave them in portions sufficiently
small for convenient eating. When the meat
has cooled 1t should be placed in a crock and
put IN the refrigerator. The sooner it is used
after 1t has become cold the better.
But the actual cooking of the terrapin is a
very small and insignificant portion of its
preparation. 1t is after this that the cooks
ability is put to the test. In this connection
let me say in the first place that / do not be-
lleve there is a French cook living who knows
now to prepare terrapin. l cannot tell why,
but 1t Is an absolute fact that colored woman
has knack in dressing the dish which belongs
to no other race or sex. OF course there are
many American housewives who have achieved
lame for their preparation of the prince of
turtles, but somehow or other they will use
Hour and eggs, and both of these are abomina-
tons. il any word of mine can lead them to
discard these evil ways honestly believe will
have performed public benefit
DIFFERENT WAYS OF PREPARING 1T.
Before giving my own views as to which is
the best method of preparing stewed terrapin
L will refer to the recipes of others. Philadel-
phia gained its fame the place where the
dish can be properly treated largely through
the cooking of Prosser, a famous colored
caterer, who is now dead. / have before me
an oddly written account of his formula. pre-
pared by one of his disciples, and published
some years ago in gastronomic journal. which
Is now defunct. His method is described as
follows:
You can't enjoy terrapin unless the day is
nlpplng. Temperature and terrapin go hand
in hand. Now, as to your terrapin. bless youi
there is all the difference the world in them.
The more northerly is the terrapin ground the
better. You eat Florida terrapin-you needn't
despise it, for terrapin is terrapin everywhere
but you get a Chesapeake one or a Delaware
bay one, or, better still, Long Island one, and
there is just the difference between $40 a
dozen ana S36 Warm water kind o. washes
the delicate flavor out of them. Don't you let
Mr.. Bergh know it, but your terrapin must be
boiled alive. Have a good big pot with a
hot fire under it, so that he shan't languish,
and when ii has got on a full head of steam
pop him in. What an going to give is a
recipe for single one. If you are swfully
rich and 20 in for a gross of terrapin Just use
your multiplication table. Just as soon as he
caves in watch him and try his
fippers. When they part when you
him nicely with knife; billing of HIM dislo-
Gates his snuff box. Pick out every scrap of
his meat; there amt over much of it, more's
the pity. The most is in the jints of the legs
and side lockers; but If you want to commit
murder just you smash his gall, then your ter
rapin is gone forever. Watch closely for eggs
and handle them gingerly. Now, having got
him or her all into shape, put the meat aside.
Take three fresh eggs; you must have them
fresh. Bile 'em hard and mash 'em smooth,
add to that tablespoonful of sifted flour
three tablespoons of cream, salt and pepper
(red pepper to terrapin is just depravity) and
two wine glasses Of sherry wine-wine as costs
81 so bottle amt bit too good. There never
was botega in all Portugal that wouldn't think
itself honored to have itself mixed up with
terrapin. Now you want quarter of a pound
Of the very best fresh butter and put that in
porcelain-covered pan and melt it frst-musn't
be Drowned. When it's come to be oily put in
your terrapin. yelks Of eggs, wine and all. Let
it simmer gently, gently. Billing up two or
three times does the business What YOU are
after is to make it blend. There amt nothing
that must be too pointed in q terrapin stew
1t wants to be a quiet thing, suave thing, Just
pervaded with a most beautiful and natural
terrapin aroma. You must serve it to the
people that eats it on hot plate, but the real
thing is to have it in chatting dish, and though
a man ought not to be selfish there is a kind Of
divine satisfaction in eating 1t all yourself.
But there won't be another Joems Prosser.
His secret died with him."
That is very interesting talk and most of il is
all right. 1t is true that down at Cape May
they give you terrapin in summer time and
swear that it can't be eXcelled, but cold
weather is the only period of the year in which
the turtle is fit for eating. The suggestion,
however, that the Long Island terrapin is the
most excellent of all is simply ridiculous and
does not permit of argument. Prossers use of
fresh eggs and -four is sacrilegious. Terrapin
needs no such outside aid.
MRS. RUBICAMs RECIPE.
Mrs. Rubicam has furnished the world with
what have heard described as a famous recipe
1t is as follows
PUT the terrapin alive in a pot of boiling
water and let it remain in it until quite dead.
Then divest them of their outer skin and toe
nails, and, after washing them in warm water,
boil them again until they are quite tender,
adding to the water a handful Of salt. When
they are perfectly tender take off the shells and
clean the terrapin, being very careful in re-
moving the sand bag and gall not to break
them. Then cut the meat and entrails into
small pieces and put them into a saucepan,
adding the juice which has been given out in
INIT NO wafer Season the taSta