Turtle Soup

Turtle Soup
Serves 2
A classic Creole soup.
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Ingredients
  1. 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  2. 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  3. 2 pounds turtle meat, patted dry and cut into ½-inch cubes, divided
  4. 1½ teaspoon salt, divided
  5. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
  6. 2 red onions, chopped
  7. 3 stalks celery, chopped
  8. 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  9. 6 cloves garlic, minced
  10. 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  11. ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  12. 1 teaspoon celery salt
  13. 2 bay leaves
  14. ½ cup all-purpose flour
  15. 2 cups dry sherry
  16. 8 cups water
  17. 2 cups crushed tomatoes
  18. 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  19. 4 sprigs fresh oregano
  20. Juice of 2 oranges
  21. ½ cup clam juice
  22. 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  23. Garnish: chopped green onions
Instructions
  1. 1. In a large Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add half of turtle meat, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook until meat is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove meat from pot, and set aside. Add remaining turtle meat, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
  2. Return first batch of meat to pot along with onion, celery, and bell pepper; cook until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes.
  3. Add cayenne, celery salt, bay leaves, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Return heat to medium-high, add sherry, and scrape bottom of pot to loosen any browned bits.
  4. Stir in 8 cups water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Tie together thyme and oregano sprigs with butcher’s twine; add to pot and simmer 35 minutes. Stir in orange
  5. juice, clam juice, and Worcestershire sauce; simmer 10 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat, discard herb bundle and bay leaves. Working in batches, add soup to the work bowl of a blender, and blend on high speed until thick. Pour into a serving dish, and garnish with green onion, if desired.
Notes
  1. This classic Creole soup has been on New Orleans menus for centuries and has only gotten better with age. While turtle meat is often carried at well-stocked markets in Louisiana, it can be scarce elsewhere. Cajun Grocer ships prepared turtle meat nationwide (cajungrocer.com).
Louisiana Cookin https://www.louisianacookin.com/

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