The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-11-28

SAM WARD MAKING A STEW.
terrapin for the sake of economy,
the white folks acquired the taste.
Senator John NJ. Clayton, of Della
ware, was very fond of terrapin. He
usually bought an OK load of them
for dollar, and had them shoveled
into his cellar like Goals. His own
people regarded his taste for terra
pin as so peculiar that it became a
tradition of his state until every
body began eating terrapin.
Although the negroes do not care
for terrapin they are great hunters
and cooks of the toothsome amphib-
ian. They liked nothing better than
to get away from plantation work
and go hunting terrapin, and they
are still SO inclined. There was no
commercial demand for terrapin pre-
vious to 1850. The waters of Della
ware, Maryland, Virginia, North Car
DINA, and South Carolina fairly
swarmed with them. They were I'M
molested except for home tables. But
when the people of northern states
began to acquire the taste the fish
ermen began bringing them to
market. Then there was system
of southern hospitality, which was
exceedingly shrewd. Relatives and
other visitors from northern states
were entertained lavishly, and they
were given terrapin everywhere.
They are RECALLED with stories of
how to make the stew, and had it
dinned into their ears until they
went back north talking terrapin
and nothing else.
Sam Ward, once known as the king
of the lobby, was successful in all his
schemes before congress primarily
because he was such an unusually ex-
travagant entertainer He studied all
of the epicurean articles and was
himself one of the best of cooks. His
terrapin stew was famous, and he al
ways either made it himself or per-
sonally supervised its making. Here
is his recipe: "Immerse live terra
pin in boiling water. Let it boil half
an hour. Then take out, remove lower
shell, carefully cutting out the meat.
Take out gall bag without cutting or
breaking, and throw it away. Remove
liver and cut it into cubes. Remove
meat from upper shell, disjoint and
place in iron pot with the cubed liver
and pint of the liquor in which ter
rapin was boiled. Watch carefully and
cook until tender. Serve in sauce
made of two ounces best butter, a
pinch of flour, half pint cream, cayenne
pepper and salt. On the bottom of
each plate place piece of bacon
cooked crisp, so that it will easily
break all to pieces
1t was With that recipe that Sam
Ward captured the prince of Wales,
and until this day King Edward has
his terrapin stews in season, made on
Sam Wards recipe. Until the day of
his death John Chamberlin, the ia
nous restaurateur, served terrapin in
the same way. After his death the
rich and eNtravagant guests of his
house said that they could not get any
terrapin fit to eat there, and so John
Chamberlin's famous place in this city
has long been closed. 1t was literally
built on terrapin.
Terrapin are found only in America.
From Long Island sound to Texas
they are to be found, and very few
have been taken on the Pacific coast.
The terrapin of the northern waters
receive the preference of epicures, be-
cause their flesh is more delicate. That
is because they develop more slowly
than the terrapin of the southern wa
ters. The most prolific waters are
those along the Virginia shore just be-
low the mouth of the Potomac river.
The terrapin of Maryland waters
bring better prices than the Virginian
because they are finer, but Virginia
produces fully two-thirds of all the
terrapin in the market. The diamond
back terrapin of Chesapeake bay is
the best of all, and therefore the most
costly. And the most desirable dia-
mondback is the siX-inch fellow. Aft
er them are the heifers and the bulls;
the latter being cheapest and used
in restaurants for terrapin soup, very
inferior imitation of the genuine stew
of the tables of the rich.
Suppose you save up your extra pen
mics, and have terrapin stew instead
of turkey for your next Christmas din
ner?
SMITH D. FRY