Recipe of the Week: Turtle Soup
Serves 6 to 8
1 gallon (4 quarts) water
3 pounds turtle meat or veal shoulder, or a combination of both, including any bones available
3 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram or ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup tomato puree
1 teaspoon salt-free Creole Seasoning
½ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Leaves from only 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, well washed and chopped
5 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 4 cups, loosely packed) well washed and chopped
In a large stock pot, cover the turtle meat with the water and add the bay leaves, cloves, lemon zest, salt and black peppercorns. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so water simmers gently. Cook slowly for two hours.
Strain the stock, reserving the liquid and the meat separately. If necessary, add additional water or meat stock to make three quarts. When cool enough to handle, chop and shred the meat into small pieces and set aside.
In a large saucepan, use the butter and flour to make a medium-dark Roux the color of a well used penny. When Roux reaches the correct color, add the celery, onions, bell pepper and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the thyme, marjoram, sherry, Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree and bring the mixture to a boil.
Lower the heat and add the Creole Seasoning and Tabasco. Whisk in the reserved stock and add the turtle meat. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, freshly ground black pepper and/or Tobasco Sauce as desired. Add then add, parsley and spinach leaves and simmer for 10 minutes more. Serve in wide, shallow bowls.
A splash of sherry poured at the table bring out the richness of the turtle soup. The addition of sherry is another local point of difference. Some cooks add the sherry during the cooking process, others when it is served and some prefer their turtle soup with no sherry at all.
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Serves 6 to 8
1 gallon (4 quarts) water
3 pounds turtle meat or veal shoulder, or a combination of both, including any bones available
3 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram or ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup tomato puree
1 teaspoon salt-free Creole Seasoning
½ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Leaves from only 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, well washed and chopped
5 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 4 cups, loosely packed) well washed and chopped
In a large stock pot, cover the turtle meat with the water and add the bay leaves, cloves, lemon zest, salt and black peppercorns. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so water simmers gently. Cook slowly for two hours.
Strain the stock, reserving the liquid
and the meat separately. If necessary, add additional water or meat stock to make three quarts. When cool enough to handle, chop and shred the meat into small pieces and set aside.
In a large saucepan, use the butter and flour to make a medium-dark Roux the color of a well used penny. When Roux reaches the correct color, add the celery, onions, bell pepper and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the thyme, marjoram, sherry, Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree and bring the mixture to a boil.
Lower the heat and add the Creole Seasoning and Tabasco. Whisk in the reserved stock and add the turtle meat. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, freshly ground black pepper and/or Tobasco Sauce as desired. Add then add, parsley and spinach leaves and simmer for 10 minutes more. Serve in wide, shallow bowls.
A splash of sherry poured at the table bring out the richness of the turtle soup. The addition of sherry is another local point of difference. Some cooks add the sherry during the cooking process, others when it is served and some prefer their turtle soup with no sherry at all.