The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-16
HUMBUG ABOUT TERRAPIM.
Frepariag the Dtsh Not . Dfmeuis ApS a.
cOrdinR 10 q CateRer


There is q good deal of polite humbug about
terrapin stew" said q caterer. The Maryland
style Is generally accepted as the best way In
which the dish should be eaten. but. as . matter
OF fact, there Is 20 little difference between thAs
style and the Philadelphia style that no one can
tell the difference by the taste OF It. and, fur
Their, the Virginia style OF preparing ~terrapin,
as followed by the Incompatible negro mann
my cooks of the Old Dominion. Is the only true
way to cook II. and by far the simplest The
cooking OF terrapin seems to be Q natural gtn
with the Virginia negress. II IL an art that the
professional cook has to acquire.
THE preparing for the table OF . terrapin IN
the approved Maryland style IL quite . tedious
proceeding, and the person who does It never
fails to impress you with the fact that he be-
lieves, or thinks he blieves. that he 10 and Of
necessity must be a being OF exceptional accom-
plishments as q culinary artist; but II you are
not susceptible to the glamour which tradition
has cast around the terrapin cook. you can do
the business Just exactly as well yourself. You
will never DO able 70 get = recipe for cooking Q
terrapin from any OF these glorihed concocEors
OF . stow. They will always give you . wise
shake Of the head and declare that such Q thing
would be impossible. save a. % the mode In .
general way, because they have certain artistic
secrets about making tsrrapin stew which they
cannot impArt to any one, the same, Of course,
being q very excellent quality Of rot. The pre-
pairing OF "a terrapln depends more upon the
knowledgs OF how TO treat IL s~natomicAIly than
"A terrApin that has been caught after Il has
gone into its winter quarters does not need 70
be cleaned before IL is c cooked. There IL no food
In its stomach, and its interior Is as clean a. it
can be made. In the Maryland or Philadelphia
way OF preparing terrapin, it Is thrown alive
into q pot OF hot water. This 10 cruel enough,
but II is humanity compared with the way On
terrapin Is treated in the old Virginia style. Ia
beginning its PREPARATION in this style. the IN.
fortunate reptile 10 thrust alive among hot
Goals or shut In a very hot oven. and left there
until II Is cooked. When this result IL reached
the under shell OF the terTapin Is easily removed
with a knife, exposing the meat resting An ths
ing but the gall sack Is removed, and with ths
ADDITION OF butter, seasoning, and = glass OF
sherry or Madeira wine, the terrapIn II salsn
from the shell. But IL is not terrapin Stsw
AFTER the terrapln is cast into Iha kettla of
not water, as In the Maryland and Philadelphia
sl{les' IL Is leIt there until II Is dead. Ii IA Then
TAKEN out ana the upper shell removed. The
time removed. and its under shell taken on.
now comes a very delicate Operation. and ne
one on which failure or success deDends ThIs
Is the removal OF the liver and The mi ssck If
so much OF the gall as would cover he
poiht OF q pin should remain ia would
eSiht the enlre stew, aud make the eating
an lnposaibilitJ. This Necessary dissec-
Nv s,o the meat Is put back into the kettle
$40 stemed until IL ls ready for The final tnurh.
Ms 10 me addition Of the very finest butter, tie
SolAs pi "a" eggs. the whites 81 hard boiled
ssks. mick cream, and spices. Tie addit.yn Of
sherly or Madeira must Be- made only A very
sn9rs tine 6efors the sts9 Z ssTVsd OF ths 81
80 ssish iiSsSr VII - Lest As Ekss lTARS