Turtle Soup

Yield: 1 gallon

Ingredients

• 1 pound turtle meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 cup diced celery
• 7 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 3 to 4 quarts water
• 1/4 cup beef stock concentrate
• 2 teaspoons celery salt
• 4 bay leaves
• 12 whole cloves
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Sherry (optional)
• Lemons, thinly sliced (optional)
• Hardboiled eggs, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Sauté turtle meat in shortening until very brown. Add onions, celery and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes; blend in flour, and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add Tabasco sauce, water, beef stock and then all other ingredients. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender.
3. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon sherry, hardboiled eggs, or lemon slices, if desired.

Notes

Turtle Soup is better made ahead of time. It freezes well.

Photo credit: aimeeorleans / CC BY