Turtle Soup

Ingredients

1/4 cup salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen turtle meat
6 cups chicken or veal stock
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 pinch dried whole thyme
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 lemons, cut in half
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 tablespoons roux, if desired

Instructions

Naturally, the key to making turtle soup is ground turtle meat, which is available in many meat markets and especially in small, ethnic groceries. Ground veal works well as a substitute, but you can't call it turtle soup when there's no turtle in the pot.

To cook the turtle meat, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and simmer the meat for 45 minutes. Drain off the water and coarsely chop the meat. Set aside until needed.

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock, garlic, bay leaves and thyme to a boil. Add the tomato paste, vegetables, parsley and lemons. When boiling again, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the meat and the sherry, return to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thicken if desired by adding small amounts of roux. Serve in soup bowls, preferably with a final splash of sherry.

Serves 6