Miss Corson's practical American cookery and household management

Put in a cup or small saucepan four heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, a saltspoonful of salt, and quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, and set it in a pan of hot water over the fire where the butter will slowly melt ; as soon as it is melted, carefully pour it into a sauceboat, without disturbing the sediment at the bottom, and serve it at once. DRIED SALMON. After the fish has been scaled, split it down the back, remove the entrails, saving the roe; then rub the fish thoroughly with dry salt, and hang it by the gills to drain over night. The next day mix together two ounces each of powdered rock-salt and brown sugar and four ounces of powdered saltpetre ; rub this mixture well into the fish, and lay it on a large dish for two days ; then drain the fish, rub it thoroughly with dry salt, hang it by the gills, and let it dry. After it is thoroughly dry, it will be ready for use. Dried salmon may be stewed in white sauce, broiled, and served with butter and pepper, or cut in thin strips and served as a relish; or broiled or fried, after it is soaked over night in cold water, or brought to the boiling-point after having been put over the fire in cold water enough to cover it. SALTED SHAD. After the shad have been scaled, split them down the back, clean them, saving the roes, wash them in plenty of cold water, and lay them in a wooden tray or tub, with fine salt sprinkled thickly between the fish ; let the fish stand in this salt for two days. Then drain and wipe the shad, again sprinkle them with coarse salt, and pack them away in boxes or tubs. Before using salted shad, soak them over night in fresh water, laying the skin upward. After salt shad has been freshened, . it may be baked, boiled, broiled, or fried. DIAMOND-BACK TERRAPIN. The accompanying cut shows a diamond-back terrapin. The short, thick legs are covered with a greenish-black skin ; the tail is small and short ; the head is thick, and is generally drawn close to or under the shell ; the back shell is divided into clearly defined sections, the lines of which converge towards the centre, the centre itself being perceptibly raised and slightly pointed ; these points form a series of elevations down the middle of the back, which give the terrapin its name of diamond-back. Diamond-Bach Terrapin. HOW TO BOIL TERRAPIN. Terrapin should be alive when brought from the market. Wash them by putting them for half an hour into a tub or large pan half full of clean cold water ; have over the fire a large pot half full of boiling water ; plunge the terrapin into this, head first, grasping them from the back to avoid the possibihty of a bite ; let the terrapin boil from five to ten minutes, or until the skin of the claws or legs can be rubbed off with a wet cloth ; after this outer skin is removed, put the terrapin again over the fire in suflScient clean boiling water to cover them, with a teaspoonful of salt to each quart of water, and boil them gently until the shells begin to separate at the sides : the length of time will vary.