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 each terrapin. When the flesh becomes
quite tender so that you can pinch it off, take them out of 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 black and cayenne pepper,
and salt. 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, two glasses 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.
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.