Terrapin Stew

This is and old plantation recipe. Published in Mrs. Fishers Cookbook. Mrs. Fisher was an illiterate slave from Mobile, Alabama. She started cooking for San Francisco society around 1870.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  female  terrapins
• 1  cup water
• 6  eggs
• 1⁄2 lb butter, unsalted
• 2  cups sherry wine
• 1  teaspoon mustard
• 1  tablespoon wine
• 1  lemon
• 1⁄2 cup  sweet cream (optional)
• 1  teaspoon allspice
•  salt and pepper

Directions

1. Put the terrapins alive in boiling water.
2. Let them remain for fifteen minutes and then take the shells from them, being careful not to break the galls.
3. Clean the entrails from the meat, and scrape the black skin from the feet with a knife.
4. After thoroughly cleaning the terrapins, lay then in a clear water for ten minutes, and then put then in a kettle to stew with 1 cup of water, and stew very slowly for about three hours.
5. Boil the eggs hard, and rub the yelks (not misspelled) to a powder.
6. Then add the butter to the eggs and beat together until it becomes cream.
7. To this cream add the sherry wine and mix it well.
8. Then add this preparation to the stew very gradually, stirring well, so as to thoroughly mix it in.
9. While the stew is cooking, mix the mustard and the tbsp of wine and put in.
10. Slice one lemon add to stew just before dishing it up for table.
11. Three hours is sufficient time to cook it.
12. You had better put the win in the stew and not mix it with the eggs, for fear you may not mix it in right and that there may be no mistake.
13. With the above directions you have a perfect stew.
14. ½ cup of sweet cream is an improvement, if you like it: also the allspice.