Diamondback Terrapin Stew, Chesapeake Bay Style

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 large terrapins (turtles)
• 6 eggs, hard-cooked
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is best)
• 1 tablespoon lemon rind, grated
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 cups sherry wine
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups chicken stock or 3 cups vegetable stock
• hot milk, if necessary

Recipe

• 1 drop live terrapin into boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes.
• 2 remove from water; rub skin off feet, tail and head with a towel, drawing the head out with a skewer.
• 3 clip off claws.
• 4 scrub shell with boiling water; break apart with a cleaver or axe.
• 5 remove meat and liver.
• 6 discard heart, sandbag, entrails and gall bladder (taking caution not to break it as it's bitter).
• 7 cut the liver in thin slices.
• 8 take out eggs, remove film and set aside in cold water.
• 9 mash yolks of eggs; add flour, nutmeg, lemon juice and rind.
• 10 stir in 1 cup of soup stock.
• 11 add onion, celery, terrapin and terrapin eggs and enough more stock to cover meat.
• 12 cook in double boiler until meat falls from bones.
• 13 remove bones, add worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, chopped egg whites, cream, sherry and milk (if necessary).
• 14 heat thoroughly and serve with toast.