The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-23
FOR THE TABLE.

AS the coming week is the last of the game sea-
and is also the beginning of Lent, the glory of
the markets will be temporarily obscured. This
past week market prices have been high, some
dealers claim the result of the and an in
ability 10 make the supply equal the demand.
Chickens were high, those for roasting particularly
so, but ducks have been plentiful, canvasbacks
selling for dollar pair, price which seems very
low TO our Eastern friends; but they contend that
their birds, fattened wild celery, are better
worth s. pair than ours worth one-ffth of
that price.
Mushrooms among the expensive luxuries
now though it would hardly seem reasonable that
they should be at this season of the year. They
bring from so to rs cents pound and must be
secured sight, the quantity brought TO market
seems very small.
Another article on the list OF rarites is terrapfn.
These be bought ordinarily for 25 cents each
and one can make his choice from a boxful, but
Just now they bring three times that sum and are
poor specimens, too. They are so scarce that the
few which are in the hands of dealers are kept for
regular customers and a chance purchaser will be
told unblushingly that there none in market.
AS usual thing terrapn can be bought at any
fish stall and in any market, but only the
large dealers in poultry and game a few fishselers
and oystermen keep them, and they carefully
covered by warm blanket being easily killed by
exposure 10 the cold In buying terrapin neither
the largest nor the smallest should be chosen, but
The medium-s2ed ones (abont large as ones
HANDY are the best. They should be thick through
aud heavy.
There is a kind of turtle, larger and coarser than
the terrapin, which is sometimes sold under false
colors II is not Sood, being commonly tough and
unworthy of the ingredients with which it is to be
cooked. Terrapin should be bought day two
before they are to be eaten; indeed, it is quite a
common thing for epicures TO keep supply OF the
article, or ANIMAL in the back yard in a tub partly
filled with water and sand, but having small rocky
Islands upon the surface of its lake, the terrapin
delights in sun baths. Their food is vegetarian
diet, green food being necessary, and bread being
given ms fattener; the sand Is necessity of their
nature as gravel is of the birds.
Before cooking terrapin wash and scrub their
shells and claws clean in warm water, then drop
them upside down into a kettle of boiling water
highly sailed. There must be plenty of water. that
the poor victims may be completely submerged
and ii is wise TO turn ones face away from the
caldron while the murderons deed is being consuu-
mated, though the terrapn makes no such frantic
struggles 10 escape does his cousin. the crab.
Cover the kettle and shut ali doors leading from
the Kitchen to other parts OF the house the odor
gwen out in cooking may possibly fall short OF the
standard for pure fragrance. In about forty
minutes the terrapin will be done, though the time
slips easily from the feet the claws can be re-
moved, take the creatures from the pot and put
them in the open air. or some secluded spot 10 cool
and pour the water in which they were cooked
down an outside drain.
If these preliminaries have been lived through
when the terrapiD are cool enough TO handle com
for.ably, break the upper shell from the lower
This viii be easily done as they only Joined by
a stout l2ament at each SIDE Open the animals
over n clean saucepan or dish that all the liquor
which escapes In breaking may be saved. Lay the
head and feet on one side, remove the sandbag
which is spongy substance, and the entrails,
though these are frequently cut in quarterback
lengths and added to the rest of the meat These,
The entras and sandbag are the only parts of the
teTrapin which are not used except of course the
sabladder which will be found in the smaller lobe
of the liver and which, being the synonym for bit
:erness must be removed with great care and it
Is not safe to do this over the dish of meat,
drop OF the Intensely green substance would ruin
the whole dish. The liver must be cut into rather
small pieces, so, Also must the meat, bones and all
being used. The feet must be carefully skinned
and the claws removed; there is quite lot of good
meat on the head, 1909 but the headbones are never
used
Frequently a long string of eggs will be found in
The female terrapln, which is always the most de-
sirable. These must be taken from the membrane
in which they are packed, their shells removed
and they are to be added to the stew few minutes
before serving.
When the meat is carefully picked over add to
II salt cayenne and black pepper and cover it with
brancy-1t VIII take about pint for two terrapin-
and set IL away closely covered over night The
next day add as much sherry you have already
used OF brandy and set Ii TO cook in double boiler
To every terrapln take the yolk OF two hard boiled
eggs, mash them well with thick slice of very
sweet butter and tablespoonful of Drowned -four,
add 10 this half pint of thick and when the
terrapin is tender stir this in. Cook for few min
utes Till all is thick and rich in consistency then
add the Juice of half lime and Just as 1t Is served
wineglassful of sherry.
Some persons add the whites of the hard -boed
eggs chopped very fine and others add mushrooms
and trutes, but these articles take from the favor
OF the terrapin and seem little foreign to it. A
dry sherry should be used, never a sweet wine. as
that spoils the best terrapin for bon vivant and
an imported wine is therefore better than Cali