A Country Store: Henry Cooks

PUNCH

SHAD

Shad is very bony.  Henry’s cooking method was to cook the shad very slowly for about six hours at a fairly low temperature, perhaps 200 degrees.  The bones dissolve completely and a silky texture results.  The fish is cooked whole in a bath of hot water, spiced with crab boil seasoning, salt, pepper and onions.  The water should not cover the fish and should be replaced as it cooks away.

BREAKFAST

Henry always ate two soft-boiled eggs spooned over torn up white Bond bread with a bit of butter, salt and pepper.  He thought coffee was bad, so he always drank a grain beverage called Postum.[i]  When my brother and I stayed overnight, we ate the same thing, and it always tasted good the way grandpa made it.

SHORTY BERZAL’S MUSHROOMS

Shorty was a friend of Henry’s.  Among other things, he owned and ran the mushroom caves in Saugerties, and would often drop by with a basket of mushrooms.  Henry sautéed them in butter, made a roux with flour and added water or broth, salt and pepper and Bell’s Poultry Seasoning.  A delicious bowl of mushrooms in sauce resulted.[ii]

Shorty Berzal sitting in Henry's easy chair next to the radio.

Snapping Turtle From time to time, people would bring Henry a snapping turtle. They were often quite large.  I once saw one slaughtered, and the sight remains stored in my memory.  They would get the turtle to bite a thick stick, pull out the head and neck and chop.  The head would open and close its mouth for hours afterwards.  Dr. Bob Milora was there the day I saw the turtle readied for the pot.  He removed the heart, and it kept beating in a saline solution for quite a   He dissected the turtle and got the meat ready.  It was cooked slowly on the stove for hours, probably about half a day.  After that, it was removed, cut into smaller pieces and cooked with the usual stewing veggies: onion celery, carrots, and whatever herbs were in Henry’s garden.  In a pinch, there was always Bells Poultry Seasoning.  Serve with boiled potatoes. Berzal and a turtle  Brunswick Stew There was plenty of laughter and commentary about the ingredients, but Henry’s version was basically boiled chicken.  He did not use squirrels.  Although Henry embraced the rural lifestyle, and he had married into a family that hunted deer, he was still basically a guy from urban New Jersey.  Two whole chickens Cover with water and boil until done When almost done, add carrots, cabbage A can of corn and celery. Always use Bell’s Poultry Seasoning. Salt Take out chicken and carve into pieces Place cooked vegetables around the pieces. Serve with boiled potatoes Butter, salt and pepper Tell everybody there is squirrel in the stew

Here is another version of Turtle Soup and  Jefferson Stew by my brother, Norman Towar Boggs III:

Here is what I recall of the turtle butchering:  (People brought

him some very large turtles.  I think one weighed 50 lbs.  They

would show up with one in the floor of the back seat or in the

trunk.)

Put live into an old white enamel clothes washing machine tub and

pour scalding water over the animal...to kill salmonella.  turtles

are great carriers of salmonella.

Then remove turtle....get it to bite ice tongs and pull the head

from the shell, chop off the head (no small task),  and put it on

the low roof of the store.  Entertainment was provided by poking

the head with a stick to show that it could still bite.  The bit

response lasted a surprisingly long time.

Then the real butchering began.  the connections between to top of

the shell and the bottom were severed with a chisel, and that was

no easy task.  then the skin remaining as a connection between the

shells needed to be cut.  That was a serious knife dulling

procedure (turtle skin is really tough!).  Once the shell halves

had been separated, the skin was removed from the legs and other

meaty parts.  MD Bob Milora cut out the heart of one and put it in

a glass of salty water.  It continued to  beat for more than 5

hours.  The meat separated from all the bones was cooled and

eventually made into a stew which I recall as being rather good. 

(Reference Mock Turtle soup/stew.)


Jefferson Stew:  Here is one for which I have not been able to

find a recipe.  I think it was supposed to have chicken and

rabbit.  I do recall Grandpa once serving it and at least saying

that it had rabbit in it.  The small bones seemed to confirm that.

 These stews were I bet commonplace in hunting families which ours

was not.  But folks would bring Henry a lot of stuff, so he may in

fact have made stews with rabbit and squirrel.

Hope this was useful.....

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[i] Postum was made from wheat bran, wheat, molasses, and maltodextrin from corn. It was discontinued in 2007.  Wikipedia

[ii] Salustiano Berzal was a major mushroom producer in Saugerties. Edward Poll, Karlyn Knaust Elia - 1997 - History - 128 page