FISH.

RECIPE FOR TERRAPIN.

Taken verbatim from “Aunt” Mary Sharp (Old Maryland Cook).

Contributed by Mrs. Robert C. Wright, Haverford, Pa.

Put de tarrypins inter er tub er col’ water, an’ let ’em wash deyselves. Den pore off dat water, an’ put some mo’ in, an’ let ’em wash deyselves agin. Den drap ’em erlive inter biling water, an’ let ’em bile till ther feets is easy skunned, tunning ’em over eve’y now an’ agin. W’en de feets is loose an’ easy, took from de shell, take ’em out and put ’em on er dish. Save er litl’ er de water dey was biled in an’ streen it. W’en de tarrypins gets cooled off, pick ’em, but be keerful not ter break de gall. Split de entruls an’ cut ’em up ’bout er inch long. W’en de meat is all cut up, th’ow in er litl’ raid pepper, black pepper, salt an’ mace. Put ’em in er stewpan wif jes ’bout nuff er de water dey was biled in ter kiver’ em, an’ den stew ’em slow fer er littl’ more’n er quarter hour. Den put in some browned flour mixed up wif butter stirred in, near ’bout er quarter pound butter, an free (3) tablespoonfuls flour ter er mejum size tarrypin. Put de wine in jes as de tarrypins is took outen de stewpan fer de table.

TERRAPIN BROWN STEW.

Mr. Joe McAllister, Savannah, Ga.

Contributed by Mrs. Gulielma Harrison, Brandon, Va.

Have the terrapins boiled with onion, cloves and mace and celery seed. Add bread and black pepper and salt. When nearly done put them into a chafing dish into which you have mashed 2 large spoonfuls browned flour, 2 of butter, and a teaspoon of powdered allspice. Boil until quite thick, add a glass of wine. Eat with lemon juice.

PLANKED FISH.

Mrs. Morris R. Stroud, Philadelphia, Pa.

(A method of planking shad used by the Piscataway tribe in Maryland.)

Contributed by Mrs. W. Hinckle Smith, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

A pile of cord wood is made about 3 ft. high, 4 ft. wide, and 8 to 20 ft. long, according to the number of shad to be planked. When this has been reduced to a bed of coals, the shad, which have been previously cleaned and split down the back, are fastened with nails to oak planks about 2 ft. wide, 4 ft. long, and 3 in. thick. These planks like wine of ancient vintage, are all the better for long keeping. After the impalement the planks are set up edgewise before the fire, and while cooking the shad are continually basted with a mixture of butter, baking grease and Worcestershire sauce, with the addition of salt and pepper. Meantime, the roes are being prepared on another and smaller fire. When all is ready they are served with clam chowder and fresh spring vegetables. Many years ago old Jack Anderson, a relic of the days of slavery, used to say: “Well, I tell you, when dey’s done, marse, you jes’ cook an’ baste, an’ baste an’ cook twel dey smells so good you cain’t wait no longah, den dey’s done.”

FISH PIE.

Mrs. J. A. Hewlett, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Contributed by Mrs. James Crosby Brown, Rosemont, Pa.

About 1 qt. cold boiled fish, 1 pt. of milk, 1 large tablespoonful of butter, 1 onion, 1 teaspoonful of corn starch or flour, a little green celery or parsley. Add salt and pepper. Drop the onion into the cold milk and when it comes to a boil take out the onion, add corn starch mixed first with a little cold milk, butter and seasoning. Put a layer of sauce into the dish first, then fish, and repeat until all is used. Cover the top with bread crumbs and bake half an hour or more, according to oven.

MRS. HABERSHAM’S BROWN TERRAPIN STEW.

Mrs. Frank B. Screven, Savannah, Ga.

Eight terrapin, diamond back, or 6 yellow terrapin, 1 teaspoon sugar, carameled, 1 tablespoon vinegar, with pepper, salt to taste, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 6 or 8 tablespoons of parched flour, 1 tumbler best sherry, 1 qt. jelly terrapin was cooked in, 1 saltspoon powdered allspice, 1 pinch cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon. Put butter in a deep pan on stove and melt it, add slowly the flour in which the allspice has been thoroughly sifted, spoonful by spoonful, stirring hard all the time. Heat the jelly in another pot and add little by little to the mixture until it boils and becomes smooth like starch. Then add sugar, and vinegar to sauce. Then the terrapin meat and eggs, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Lastly pour in wine and serve with lemon. Boil terrapin for this stew with bunch of herbs and 2 onions. (For 16 people.)

TERRAPIN (MARYLAND STYLE).

The recipe of John Erwin, a negro cook from Maryland, who served suppers and dinners in Philadelphia before the Civil War—1859, 1862, 1863, 1864.

Contributed by Mrs. Lelia Andrews Smith, Philadelphia.

Wash 4 terrapins in warm water, then throw them into a pot of boiling water, let them boil till the shells crack, then take them out, remove the bottom shell. Cut each quarter separately, take the gall from the liver very carefully, pick out the eggs and put the pieces of terrapin in a stewpan, use the water they were boiled in and if not enough to cover them add some more water, a little salt, cayenne and black pepper, a little mace and butter the size of a large egg. Then let it stew slowly for ¾ of an hour. Make a thickening of flour and water, stir in a few minutes before you take it off the fire and add 3 or more glasses of wine, add the eggs as you serve it. More wine and spices can be added if desired.

STUFFED CRABS.

Mrs. Morris R. Stroud, Philadelphia, Pa. (1877).

Contributed by Mrs. Meredith Bailey.

Cook the crabs 20 minutes. When cold, cut them in two parts, clean the shells well and keep. Take out and hash the meat. Make Bechamel sauce with cream, not too thick; add 1 onion hashed fine, and fry in butter. Spice strongly with cayenne pepper, mustard, spices and nutmeg. Cook crabs in this sauce 10 minutes, add crumbs, and thicken with yolks of eggs. Bechamel Sauce.—Mix cold and well together in a saucepan 2 oz. of butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, add 1 pt. of milk, set on fire, stir constantly. When turning rather thick, take off. Beat a yolk of egg with teaspoon of water. Turn it into the sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.

SHRIMP PILLAU.

Mrs. Huger, Savannah, Ga.

Take 1 qt. of rice, boil grainy, while hot add a heaping tablespoonful of butter, 1 pt. of milk, mace, pepper and salt to taste. Have 2 plates of pickled shrimp, put alternate layers of rice and shrimp, letting the first and last layers be of rice. Beat up the yolk of an egg, put it over the rice and bake.

LOBSTER AND CRAB FARCEE.

Mrs. Morris R. Stroud, Philadelphia, Pa. (1877).

Contributed by Mrs. Meredith Bailey, Philadelphia, Pa.

Take off the shell carefully of a boiled lobster or crabs. Chop a piece of onion fine with a little butter. When it is partly fried add a teaspoonful of flour. Chop your lobster fine, put in the pan and stir it until partly fried. Add ½ pt. of milk or cream, and stir again. Stir frequently to keep from burning. Add pepper and salt. Lay the pieces of shell in a pan, fill with the mixture, and bake in an oven.

SALMON PUDDING.

Philadelphia, Pa.

One can of preserved salmon, 3 eggs, 4 tablespoons of butter melted, ½ cup fine bread crumbs, pepper, salt and minced parsley. Mince the fish and drain off all the liquor for sauce. Rub in the butter and work in the crumbs and add the seasoning, and last of all add the beaten eggs. Put in a buttered pudding mould and set in a dripping pan full of hot water, keep the water at a fast boil, filling up as it evaporates. Cook for one hour. Set the mould in cold water a moment when you take it from the oven. Serve on a platter with the following sauce. One cupful of milk heated to a boil, and thicken with a tablespoon of corn starch. Add 1 egg beaten light, and stir in the liquor from the fish and 1 large spoon of butter. Season and let it cook for 3 minutes in hot water, then add the juice of a lemon and some capers. Pour over the mould of pudding and serve. Cut the pudding in slices.

TO FRY FISH.

W. R. Cook, Steward, “Fishhawk,” Washington, D. C.

Contributed by Mrs. Charles B. Maury, Washington, D. C.

Beat up an egg in a little water until it is thoroughly mixed, then dip fish in batter. Then roll in batter and fry in very hot fat.

CRAB RAVIGOTE.

Contributed by Mrs. Joseph Neff, Philadelphia, Pa.

Boil crabs, put aside to cool, then pick. Mix meat with thick Remoulade sauce and fill shell. Cover meat with mayonnaise, and decorate with anchovy fillets and sliced pickles. Serve with sprig of parsley and sliced lemon. Remoulade Sauce.—Mix together in a bowl 2 tablespoonfuls of chopped anchovies that have been preserved in capers and oil. Add 1 tablespoonful of chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of mustard. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix all with a pinch of scraped garlic, salad oil and a few drops of malt vinegar.

TO COOK TERRAPIN.

Mrs. Goodfellow.

Mrs. Goodfellow was quite celebrated in Philadelphia about 100 years ago. She was at the head of a famous cooking school class where young ladies of the representative families learned the art of cooking, it being considered then the last touch to their education preparatory to entering society. Boning a turkey gave one a diploma at this celebrated school.

Contributed by Mrs. Francis Taylor Chambers, Philadelphia, Pa.

To 1 large sized terrapin take ¼ of a pound of butter, ½ a gill of cream, the same of wine, cayenne pepper, salt and flour to your taste; a little water must be mixed with it to prevent your butter going to oil. Just before you take them up stir in the cream. The boiling of the terrapin depending on the size.

BOSTON FISH-BALLS.

Contributed by Mrs. Charles P. Searle, Boston, Mass.

One pint bowl salt fish picked up very fine, 2 pint bowls of potatoes, pared whole and raw. Put the fish and potatoes together into cold water, and boil until the potatoes are wholly cooked, remove from the fire and drain off all the water, then mash with a potato masher, add a piece of butter the size of an egg, two well-beaten eggs and a little pepper. Mix well with a wooden spoon, and then sprinkle some flour upon your moulding board, and also some on the hands, and take small piece of the fish mixture and roll in the hands to about the size of a small egg. Then fry in hot fat as you would doughnuts.

TOSSED-UP CODFISH.

Pick fish to pieces. Half a pint of thin drawn butter, half pint of sweet milk, three hard boiled eggs chopped fine, one tablespoonful of butter, pinch of red pepper. Heat until nearly boiling, then throw in the fish and boil up once. Serve on buttered toast.

FISH IN MOULD (NORWEGIAN RECIPE).

Contributed by Mrs. J. F. Minis, Savannah, Ga.

Boil 1 large firm-meated fish (rock fish) not quite done. Skin and take out bones, putting the bones, skin and head back, to boil down strong. Have 1 cup of milk, 3 cups of cream. To 1 large soup plate of fish meat put 2 tablespoonfuls of potato flour, pound ½ hour, adding a little nutmeg and a tiny bit of mace. As you pound add a tablespoonful at a time of the milk, cream and fish essence. Put in a mould. Put greased paper over the top, bake in cool oven in a pan of water. Turn out of mould, dress with rounds of truffles, make pink shrimp or lobster sauce to serve.

SABOT A LA CREME AU GRATIN.

Mrs. Bradley T. Johnson.

Contributed by Mrs. John Poe, Baltimore.

Boil a fresh cod or rock weighing 4 to 5 pounds. Pick out all bones, season lightly with white pepper and salt. Put aside till the sauce is ready. Sauce.—One quart milk, mix smoothly with ¼ lb. flour, put in 5 small onions, a sprig of thyme, a bunch of parsley, tied together, add a little grated nutmeg, a teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoonful white pepper. Place on a quick fire, stir all the time until it forms a paste, then take off and stir in ½ lb. butter, yolks of 2 eggs. Mix well together and pass through a sieve. Pour some of the sauce in a baking dish, and a layer of fish alternately, sprinkle top with bread crumbs and grated cheese. Bake in oven ½ hour.

LOBSTER CUTLETS.

Contributed by Mrs. M. Kim Miller, New York.

One lobster cut in dice, butter size of an egg, tablespoon flour, 2 yolks of eggs, ½ pint milk, pepper, salt and ¼ nutmeg. Put butter in pan, add flour, when thick add milk, then seasoning, and last lobster. When cold dip in egg and bread crumbs and fry.

COLD CRAB RAVIGOTE.

Given by the Chef of the famous old Bellevue, Philadelphia, Pa.

One pt. best crab meat, 2 large fresh ripe tomatoes, 1 large green pepper, 1 red pepper same kind. Chop the tomatoes and peppers fine. Be sure to take out all the seeds in peppers. Tablespoonful of chopped parsley. Mix all together with mayonnaise enough to have them quite wet and moist. Season to taste with salt and a dash of paprika. Fill each shell heaping full of the mixture and garnish the top with 2 anchovies, a small piece of cut pickle and lemons. The anchovies can be dispensed with if preferred. Serve in six shells.

CODFISH BALLS.

Mrs. Gilbert (1800).

Contributed by Mrs. W. Hinckle Smith, Philadelphia, Pa.

Put the fish (not the canned) to soak in cold water, changing the water at bedtime. In the morning boil fresh potatoes, and with a fork beat them very smooth with a piece of butter about the size of an egg. Pick all the bones out of the fish, and mix with the potatoes, beating with a fork. Then beat to a froth 1 egg and beat that in. Also season with pepper and salt, no milk. Have them rolled lightly into balls, and fry to a light brown in boiling lard. Drop them in just as you send in breakfast. Five minutes is long enough for them to cook. Serve on dish with sprigs of parsley between.

TERRAPIN.

Contributed by Mrs. M. Kim Miller, New York.

Put in boiling water and remain until claws become soft. After cooling open and use liver, meat and eggs to 1 terrapin, the yolks of 3 hard boiled eggs mashed fine with 1 tablespoonful of flour, a little cream, salt and pepper, cup of wine. Put in saucepan ¼ lb. butter, let melt and then put in terrapin. When warmed through put in dressing and boil once. Add wine after it boils.

TERRAPINS.

Mrs. John Markoe, Philadelphia, Pa. (1790).

Contributed by Mrs. Wm. D. Winsor, Philadelphia, Pa.

Boil the terrapins until the shells are easily separated, the time depends on the size of the terrapins. To 2 quarts of picked terrapin, put ½ lb. butter; work it up well with a tablespoonful of flour, add the pounded mashed smooth yolks of four hard-boiled eggs, pepper and salt. Put 1 pint of cream on the fire, heat it, not boil. Stir in gradually the butter, flour and egg, cook five minutes, then add terrapin only long enough to heat well, all slowly done. Then add 1 pint of wine, if you like them thick, add more flour and butter mixed.

TURBOT A LA CREME.

Philadelphia, Pa.

Take a haddock about 4 lbs., boil it until the bone will come out, and the skin come off quite easily. Boil 1 qt. of milk and stir into it 4 tablespoonsful of flour, a little salt, 1 egg, a piece of butter the size of an egg. Put into a bag 1 onion cut fine, 1 teaspoonful of pepper, 1 of nutmeg, a few sprigs of parsley, 1 tablespoon of thyme, and boil in the milk to extract the flavor before adding the flour, butter, etc. Butter a dish, put a layer of fish, then one of the mixture, and so on until the dish is filled. Sprinkle over the top bread crumbs and a little grated cheese and some butter. Bake until brown.

TERRAPIN WHITE STEW.

Contributed by Mrs. Gulielma Harrison, Brandon, Va.

Have 3 terrapins boiled; when done take a portion of the liquor, rub into a smooth paste the yolks of 6 hard boiled eggs and 2 tablespoonsful of fresh butter. To this add the terrapin and liquor in a chafing dish, add 2 wineglasses of wine, ½ grated nutmeg, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 lemon rind cut thin, a little cayenne pepper and ½ pint of cream. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

KEDGEREE.

Contributed by Miss K. Willcox, Westport, Conn.

Equal quantities of boiled fish and boiled rice, for a half pound of each use two hard boiled eggs, a grain of cayenne pepper and a grain of curry powder, ½ tablespoonful of cream, 2 oz. of butter and little common pepper and salt. Remove the bone and skin from the fish, and put it in a saucepan with butter. Add the rice and whites of two hard boiled eggs, cutting the whites into small pieces. Then add the cream, the curry powder and the cayenne. Toss this over the fire until it becomes very hot, then take it off and pile it very high on a very hot dish. Smooth with a knife, and rub the yolk through a sieve on the top and serve.

FISH CHOWDER.

Mrs. Neil Robinson, Newport, R. I.

For 6 persons use a fish weighing 4 lbs., 1 qt. sliced potatoes, ¼ lb. salt pork, 2 good-sized onions, ½ doz. crackers, 2 qts. of water, 1 pt. milk, 1 tablespoonful of flour, salt and pepper to taste. Cook fish first. Put potatoes on in qt. of water and boil 10 minutes. Cut pork into bits and cook until brown, then onions sliced very fine. Fry slowly, spread pork and onions on fish and cover until ready. Stir the flour into fat remaining in pan and cook until brown, then add the milk and boil up once. Now add a quart of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Then turn milk from the pan, split the crackers and let boil up once.

TO FRY FISH IN FLOUR BATTER.

W. R. Cook, Steward, “Fishhawk,” Washington, D. C.

Contributed by Mrs. Charles B. Maury, Washington, D. C.

Mix the flour up in a little water, and put an egg in and beat it all up together, not very thick. Then season with pepper and salt. Put the fish in the batter, and have a hot pan of lard. Then it is all prepared for frying.

DEVILED CLAMS.

Contributed by Mrs. M. Kim Miller, New York.

One hundred clams chopped fine, 1 cup bread crumbs soaked in milk, ¼ lb. butter, teaspoon sweet marjoram, red and black pepper and 1 onion chopped fine. Let this cook until thickens, then cool and fill shells. Dip in egg and bread crumbs and fry in deep boiling lard.

TO DRESS FISH WITH BROWN SAUCE.

Contributed by Geo. W. Anderson, Savannah, Ga.

Take a well cleaned fish, and lay it in a pan on slow fire. Flour it well, add pepper and salt, mace and cloves with parsley, and sweet marjoram chopped fine. This to taste and according to size of fish. Half a pound of butter, with 8 Bermuda onions, nicely fried (not scorched), 2 wineglasses of port or white wine, and wineglass of catsup, or ½ glass of Worcester sauce.

FISH A LA CREME.

Contributed by Mrs. Allen Maury, Ashland, Virginia.

Take 4 lbs. halibut, whitefish, rock or shad and boil in salt and water. When done take off the skin, remove bones and shred fine. To 1 qt. of cream mix well 3 tablespoons flour, ¼ lb. butter, ½ onion, 1 bunch parsley and a little cayenne pepper. Put into a deep dish, a layer first of fish and then of sauce until dish is filled. Put on top bread crumbs and bake one-half hour.

SOFT SHELL CRABS, SAUTÉED.

Contributed by Miss Charlotte Mitchell, New Orleans, La.

After cleaning crabs, add salt and pepper, and dredge all over with flour and cracker crumbs. Lay them in a hot frying pan with butter sufficient to cover the pan. Be careful not to let butter burn, and cook until brown. Add to butter in pan 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and pour over crabs when ready to serve.

SHAD ROE CROQUETTES.

Miss Schenck, Washington (1880).

Contributed by Miss Eliza Sinclair Lyon, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Two shad roes, ½ pt. cream, yolks of 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons flour, ¼ nutmeg, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, pepper and salt to taste. Whites of 4 eggs and sifted bread crumbs for frying. Put the roes in a pan of salted boiling water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Take off the skins and mash them. Bring the cream to a boil, mix the butter and flour together over the fire, but do not brown. Add the cream, and stir until it is a thick custard. Then add all the other ingredients and spread to cool on a dish. Roll in forms. With well floured hands dip in white of eggs and bread crumbs, and leave for two hours before frying.

CREAMED LOBSTER.

Mrs. General William B. Franklin, Hartford, Conn.

Contributed by Mrs. Robert L. Pollard, Austin, Tex.

Mince lobster or crab fine. Boil 1 qt. milk and stir in slowly 2 large tablespoons flour, mixed smooth with a little cold milk. Season with black and red pepper, chopped parsley and a bit of onion. Fill dish with alternate layers of lobster and cream. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and brown in oven.