Turtle Soup

Turtle Soup

Whip up a new dish for your family with the Herald-Guide’s Recipe of the Week.

Ingredients:

• 7 lbs. turtle meat (bone in)
• 2 gallons cold water
• 3 lemons, quartered
• 2 medium garlic heads (peeled)
• 1 bunch green onions, cut in 2 pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, skinned and cut in ¼” slices

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in 16 qt. Pot. Cover with 2 gallons cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium and simmer until turtle meat becomes tender, approximately 1 ½ hours. Strain ingredients and set aside to cool. Reserve stock until later use. Debone turtle meat making sure all small bones have been removed. Chop turtle into coarse pieces. Save garlic and onion piece for soup. Discard all other vegetables from stock pot.

For Roux:

• 1 cup cottonseed oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 2 bunches green onions, slices
• 4 ribs of celery, chopped
• 2 qts. boiling water
• 3 (10 oz.) cans beef consommé
• 3 (16 oz.) cans diced tomatoes 3 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp. white pepper
• 1 ½ cups dry sherry
• Garlic, onion pieces and reserves stock from boiled meat
• 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped fine

Directions:
In a thick bottomed skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly so it won’t burn. Cook and stir until roux becomes darker than peanut butter.

Add chopped seasonings except for parsley and cook until onions become translucent, about 15 min.

Remove roux to a 16 qt. stock pot. Turn heat to medium and add 2 qts. of boiling water being careful roux does not splash.

Stir well and simmer for 20 min. Add stock, consommé, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce.

Simmer additional 15 min. Add turtle meat, chopped eggs, salt, cayenne, white pepper, garlic, and onion pieces from boiled meat. Stir well and combine ingredients.

Turn heat low and simmer additional 20 min. Before serving, add chopped parsley and sherry.

Correct for seasoning. Yields 3 ½-4 gals.