Virginia Cookery-book

The terrapin here spoken of is the salt-water terrapin, found abundantly and in perfection on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, and regarded as a delicacy superior even to the finest oysters. They are thrown alive into boiling water — ^but, as they die instantaneously, this is not so cruel as it seems — and there they are left to boil until the meat begins to loosen from the skin. Take out the terrapins and let them drain until cool enough to handle. Remove the shell carefully or you will break the gall, and thus lose your labor, as the least bit of gall spoils the dish. You will find the gall in the vicinity of the liver. Every particle of the terrapin is edible save that portion next the gall. To about two large or four smaU terrapins add a half - cup of sherry wine and a cupful of port wine, a teacupf ul of butter, a teacupf ul of currant or similar fruit- jelly, a dessert-spoon nearly full of Worcestershire sauce, a little Cayenne pepper (no black pepper), and salt to your taste. Stew all these things together, and, just as you think it to be thoroughly cooked, pour in a cupful of pure, fresh cream ; stir it well in, and as soon as the cream gets hot and well mixed with the dressing you can serve it. For this purpose a regular metal or silver stew-dish is to be preferred, with an alcohol lamp attached; use mustard to your taste, but take care not to let it predominate. N.B. — The above recipe was kindly furnished by a Norfolk gentleman, who, keeping a bachelor's establishment, is famed for having the most delicious terrapin stews at his suppers. He appends to it, deprecatingly, this remark : " For my own part I never make the dressing by rule, depending always on my taste. Perhaps it would be a better plan to mix all the ingredients for seasoning, as directed above, in a small pitcher, and add a little at a time until it suits your own ideas of what is good." To PiCKLK Oysters. (PortemoQth Recipe.) Put your oysters in a porcelain kettle, in their own liquor, and cook them until the edges curl up, which shows that they are done, for it is important not to let them get overdone and soft. As soon as they are done take them from their own liquor and drop them into a pan full of cold water, and there let them remain for about ten minutes; then spread them on a board to drain. Sprinkle salt over them on the board. Then take half their liquor and an equal quantity of vinegar and put them on the fire to boil, together with as many red pepper-pods, cloves, and blades of mace as you think will be enough to flavor them. After these things have all boiled up well once set them away in a china bowl to become cold. Just before removing them from the fire drop in a lemon cut into thin slices. When the liquor has quite cooled pour it over the oysters, and cover them, to exclude the air as much as possible. Oysters 1 gal. Vinegar 1 qt. Liquor 1 qt. Cloves 1 oz. Mace i oz. Pepper-pods (small-sized). 6 Lemons 1. Oyster Soup. Boil one gallon of oysters in their own liquor until quite done. Add one quart of rich morning's milk, the yolks of four eggs, two good table-spoonfuls of butter and one of flour, all mixed well together, but in this order — ^flrst the milk, then, after beating the eggs, add a little of the hot liquor to them gradually, and stir them rapidly into the soup. Lastly, add the butter and whatever seasoning you fancy besides plain pepper and salt, which must both be put in to taste with caution. Celerysalt most persons like extremely ; others would prefer a little marjoram and thyme ; others, again, mace and a bit of onion. Use your own discretion in this regard. Richmond Way of Pickling Oystbrs.