Have ready a pot of boiling water. When it is boiling very hard put in
the terrapins, and let them remain in it till quite dead. Then take
them out, pull off the outer skin and the toe-nails, wash the terrapins
in warm water and boil them again, allowing a tea-spoonful of salt to
two terrapins. When the flesh becomes quite tender so that you can
pinch it off, take them out off the shell, remove the sand-bag, and
the gall, which you must be careful not to break, as it will make the
terrapin so bitter as to be uneatable. Cut up all the other parts of
the inside with the meat, and season it to your taste with cayenne
pepper, nutmeg, and mace. Put all into a stew-pan with the juice or
liquor that it has given out in cutting up, but not any water. To every
two terrapins allow a quarter of a pound of butter divided into pieces
and rolled in flour, one glass of Madeira, and the yolks of two eggs.
The eggs must be beaten, and not stirred in till a moment before it
goes to table. Keep it closely covered. Stew it gently till every thing
is tender, and serve it up hot in a deep dish. The entrails are no
longer cooked with terrapins.
Terrapins, after being boiled by the cook, may be brought to table
plain, with all the condiments separate, that the company may dress
them according to taste.
For this purpose heaters or chafing-dishes must be provided for each
plate.