To dress a TURTLE of a hundred Weight.
CUT off the head, take care of the blood, and take off all the fins, lay them in salt and water, cut off the bottom shell, then cut off the meat that grows to it (which is the callipee or fowl) take out the hearts, livers, and lights, and put them by themselves, take out the bones and the flesh out of the back shell (which is the callipath) cut the fleshy part into pieces, about two inches square, but leave the fat part, which looks green (it is called the monlieu) rub it first with salt, and wash it in several waters to make it come clean, then put in the pieces that you took out, with three bottles of Madeira wine, and four quarts of strong veal gravy, a lemon cut in slices, a bundle of sweet herbs, a tea-spoonful of Chyan, six anchovies washed and picked clean, a quarter of a pound of beaten mace, a tea spoonful of mushroom powder, and half a pint of essence of ham if you have it, lay over it a coarse paste, set it in the oven for three hours; when it comes out take off the lid and scum off the fat, and brown it with a salamander.—This is the bottom dish.
Then blanch the fins, cut them off at the first joint, fry the first pinions a fine brown, and put them into a tossing pan, with two quarts of strong brown gravy, a glass of red wine, and the blood of the turtle, a large spoonful of lemon pickle, the same of browning, two spoonfuls of mushroom catchup, Chyan and salt, an onion stuck with cloves, and a bunch of sweet herbs; a little before it is enough, put in an ounce of morels, the same of truffles, stew them gently over a slow fire for two hours; when they are tender, put them into another tossing pan, thicken your gravy with flour and butter, and strain it upon them, give them a boil, and serve them up.—This is a corner dish.
Then take the thick or large part of the fins, blanch them in warm water, and put them in a tossing pan, with three quarts of strong veal gravy, a pint of Madeira wine, half a tea-spoonful of Chyan, a little salt, half a lemon, a little beaten mace, a tea-spoonful of mushroom powder, and a bunch of sweet herbs; let them stew till quite tender, they will take two hours at least, then take them up into another tossing pan, strain your gravy, and make it pretty thick with flower and butter, then put in a few boiled forcemeat balls, which must be made of the veally part of your turtle, left out for that purpose; one pint of fresh mushrooms, if you cannot get them pickled ones will do, and eight artichoke bottoms boiled tender, and cut in quarters; shake them over the fire five or six minutes, then put in half a pint of thick cream, with the yolks of six eggs beaten exceeding well, shake it over the fire again till it looks thick and white, but do not let it boil; dish up your fins with the balls, mushrooms, and artichoke-bottoms over and round them.—This is the top dish.
Then take the chicken part, and cut it like Scotch-collops, fry them a light brown, then put in a quart of veal gravy, stew them gently a little more than half an hour, and put to it the yolks of four eggs boiled hard, a few morels, a score of oysters; thicken your gravy; it must be neither white nor brown, but a pretty gravy colour; fry some oysters patties, and lay round it.—This is a corner dish, to answer the small fins.
Then take the guts (which is reckoned the best part of the turtle) rip them open, scrape and wash them exceeding well, rub them well with salt, wash them through many waters, and cut them in pieces two inches long, then scald the maw or paunch, take off the skin, scrape it well, cut it into pieces about half an inch broad, and two inches long, put some of the