New Orleans Style Turtle soup is staple to many New Orleans institutions. All of the traditional and well-known restaurants worth talking about serve their version of this soup. Now you can make it yourself right at home!!!
Ingredients
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3 lb. turtle meat, deboned
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5 tbsp. flour
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5 tbsp. butter
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1-1/2 onion
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3 stalks celery
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1 carrot
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1 med can tomato sauce
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2 oz Worcestershire
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1 lemon rind and juice
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1 cp sherry plus some for garnish
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1 bag frozen spinach
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3 bay leaves
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1 sprig thyme
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1 sprig oregano
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1 tbsp chopped Parsley
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3 qt beef broth
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garlic powder
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dried herbs (I use Italian seasoning because it’s a blend of basil, thyme and oregano)
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1 hard-boiled egg grated on a cheese grater
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Directions
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Clean and remove silver skin from meat. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
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I used a food processor in small batches to grind up the meat to a coarse grind. You can also use a meat grinder if you have one or just chop it or small dice with a large knife if you don’t have the above equipment.
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In a small pot boil the turtle meat skimming off any foam that comes to the top. Once the meat stops creating foam strain in a colander discarding water.
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Chop and prep all ingredients. I did a small dice on onions, carrot and celery (mirepoix). Mince garlic. Zest and juice lemon. Chop herbs Finley.
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In a heavy bottom pot melt butter. Add in flour and whisk or stir well. We’re going to make a dark roux here. Keep stirring ensuring to get all mixture from sides of pot well incorporated. Once you have a chocolate color on roux add in mirepoix. Cook until onions start to become translucent.
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Add in 1 qt of stock, sherry, garlic and tomato sauce. Start layering your seasonings. I started with 3 tsp dried herbs, 1 tbsp Tony's (or your favorite Creole seasoning), and 1 tbsp granulated garlic.
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Simmer for 1 hour then add meat into soup.
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Cook another hour and add Worcestershire and lemon. Juice and rind. Add any evaporated stock.
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Add in spinach and cook another hour adding in stock as needed (I used all 3 containers) and constantly taste for seasoning to your preference.
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Bowl and serve with a side of sherry tableside and grated egg.
