Chicken Terrapin

 This recipe is from "The Good Housekeeping Women’s Cook Book 1909".  The recipe is the only one for chicken terrapin I have seen that is baked like a custard.  It is rich, luscious and decadent!

You don’t need any additional seasoning; it is perfect, emphasizing the delicate taste of the chicken.  The directions are mostly mine, as the original directions were very sparse, assuming you already were an expert cook.  You could easily add a tablespoon or two of sherry to the measuring cup before adding the stock for a more authentic terrapin. 

Serve simply with a green vegetable and/or green salad, with fruit for dessert.

Chicken Terrapin

  2        tablespoons  butter

  2        tablespoons  flour

     ½    cup  heavy cream (do not substitute)

     ½    cup  stock

            salt and pepper -- to taste

  2        large  eggs -- well-beaten

  2        cups  cooked chicken -- diced

            Buttered bread crumbs (I used 2 slices of bread)

Melt butter, stir in flour.  Slowly whisk in cream and stock and heat until thickened over medium heat, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Beat eggs.  Beat in sauce a spoonful at a time, and then return tempered egg mixture to sauce.

Stir in chicken.

Butter individual dishes (10 ounce ramekins), pour in the chicken mixture and place dishes in a pan of hot water.

Spread top with buttered bread crumbs and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.   (Temperature with instant-read thermometer should be 160-165°).   Serve at once.

Yield:   4 Servings

I used Perfect Poached Chicken for this recipe.