best turtle soup
Turtle Soup is almost as synonymous with Nola Cuisine as Gumbo, in fact, it probably outsells the Gumbo in a lot of establishments. Unlike the clear Turtle Soups made in other parts of the world, the Louisiana variety is a dark, robust soup, bordering on a stew. There are also Mock Turtle Soups which are good as well, usually made with Beef and Veal. Turtles are said to contain about 7 different flavors of meat, so it would be very easy to slip a more inexpensive meat in with the Turtle, I’ve even heard of some places slipping in some Alligator. (See Notes Below)
prep time
25 Min
cook time
1 Hr 30 Min
method
Stove Top
yield
4 serving(s)
Ingredients
- ROUX INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup ap flour
- SOUP INGREDIENTS
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound turtle meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups onion, finely diced
- 1 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 - fresh bay leaves
- 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 can 6 oz tomato sauce* (optional)
- 1 quart beef stock
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
- 1 dash ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh marjoram, chopped
- - salt & black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons sherry
- 3 - hard boiled eggs, whites diced, yolks smashed with a fork
- - lemon slices
- 5 teaspoons italian parsley, finely chopped
How To Make best turtle soup
-
Step 1Melt the half cup of butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan, whisk in the flour, cook to make a peanut butter colored roux. Set aside.
-
Step 2In a large saucepan or dutch oven, melt the 4 Tbsp of unsalted butter over medium-high heat, add the diced turtle meat and saute until nicely browned.
-
Step 3Lower the heat to medium, add both types of onions, the celery, and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper. Saute until the vegetables are tender.
-
Step 4Add the tomatoes, season with a little salt so they will break down, cook for 10 minutes.
-
Step 5Add the tomato sauce, beef stock, worcestershire, cayenne, allspice, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming off any impurities that may rise to the surface.
-
Step 6Whisk in the roux, simmer until thickened and smooth. Add the thyme, and marjoram, simmer for 15-20 minutes more.
-
Step 7Add the lemon juice, 3 tsp of the parsley, and the smashed egg yolk, heat through
-
Step 8Serve garnished with lemon slices, diced egg whites, and parsley. Add the sherry at the table, about 1-2 tsp per bowl. Enjoy!
-
Step 9*NOTES: As far as finding Turtle Meat in your area, you may have a bit of a challenge. If you have a great Asian Market in your area, it’s probably your best bet, they may even have them live if you would like to butcher them yourself. It’s a messy business though, with a lot of blood and Post Mortem squirming. I buy frozen. If you can purchase bone-in Turtle Meat, do so! You can Roast the bones and infuse the flavor into your Beef Stock. Roast them in a 400 degree F oven until a nice deep brown, then add them to your Beef Stock and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. If you like your turtle soup with a rich brown gravy, leave out the tomato sauce. Adding the tomato sauce will add another layer of flavor and will only change the color of the soup slightly.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
Discover More
Category:
Beef Soups
Category:
Other Soups
Ingredient:
Wild Game
Culture:
Cajun/Creole
Method:
Stove Top
Comment & Reviews
ADVERTISEMENT
Just A Pinch Sweepstakes