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Conference turris::cooks

Title:	How to Make them Goodies
Notice:	Please Don't Start New Notes for Old Topics! Check 5.*
Moderator:	FUTURE::DDESMAISONSec.com::winalski

Created:	Tue Feb 18 1986
Last Modified:	Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	4127
Total number of notes:	31160

42.0. "SOUP: Turtle Soup (m)" by AJAX::TOPAZ () Tue Nov 06 1984 09:36

The following recipe for Turtle Soup is not only for real, but it 
comes direct from the [4mEscoffier Cook Book[0m, the Bible of Culinary Art.
Escoffier notes that "when a comparatively small quantity of this soup
is required, it is best to buy it ready-made; in the event of its
being desirable to prepare it oneself, the following recipe will be
found the simplest and most practical for the purpose."  Now, I've 
never actually made this stuff, so I can't guarantee that it's a good 
recipe, but here it is anyway:                   
    
    I. The Slaughtering of the Turtle -- 
       For soup, take a turtle weighing from 120 to 180 lbs., and let it be 
    very fleshy and full of life.
    
       To slaughter it, lay it on its back on a table, with its head hanging 
    over the side. By means of a double butcher's hook, one spike of which 
    is thrust into the turtle's lower jaw, while the other suspends an 
    adequately heavy weight, make the animal hold its head back; then, 
    quickly as possible, sever the head from the body.
    
       Now immediately hang the body over a receptacle, that the blood may be 
    collected, and leave it thus for one and one-half or two hours.
    
       Then follows the dismemberment: To begin with, thrust a strong knife 
    between the carapace (upper shell) and the plastron (lower shell), 
    exactly where the two meet, and separate the one from the other. The 
    turtle being on its back, cut all the adhering flesh from the 
    plastron, and put the latter aside. Now cut off the flippers; remove 
    the intestines, throw them away, and carefully collect all the green 
    fat. Whereupon cut away the flesh adhering to the carapace; once more 
    remove all the fat, and keep both in reserve.
    
    II. The Treatment of the Carapace, the Plastron, and the Flippers -- 
       The carapace and the plastron, which are the outside bony framework 
    of the turtle, constitute the only portions wherefrom the gelatinous 
    flesh, used as the garnish of the soup, are obtained.
    
       Saw the carapace into six or eight pieces, and the plastron into four.
    
       Put these pieces with the flippers into boiling water or into steam, 
    to blanch. Withdraw the flippers as soon as they are sufficiently 
    stiff for the skin to be removed, and leave the pieces of carapace and 
    plastron to blanch for five minutes, in order that they may admit of 
    being scraped. Now cool the pieces of carapace and plastron and the 
    flippers, and put them into a pot containing enough water to 
    abundantly cover them. Set to boil; garnish with vegetables, as in the 
    case of an ordinary broth, and add a small quantity of turtle herbs.
    
       Five or six hours should be allowed for the cooking of the carapace 
    and the plastron, but the flippers, which are put to further uses in 
    other culinary preparations, should be withdrawn at the end of five 
    hours.
    
       When the pieces are taken from the cooking liquor, remove all the 
    flesh from the bones, and cool the former; then trim it carefully, and 
    cut it into little squares of one and one-half inches.  It is these 
    squares together with the green fat (poached in salted water and 
    sliced) which constitute the garnish of the soup. 
    
    III. The Preparation of the Turtle Soup - 
       There are two modes of procedure, though their respective results are 
    almost identical:

      1. Make a broth of the flesh of the turtle alone, and then add a very 
      gelatinous beef consomme to it.  This procedure is practically the 
      best, more particularly if the soup has to be kept some time.
  
      2. Make an ordinary broth of shin of beef, using the same quantity of 
      the latter as of turtle. Also include half a calf's foot and one-half 
      lb. of calf's shin per 3 lbs. of the beef. Add the flesh of the 
      turtle, or in the event of it being thought necessary to clarify, 
      which operation I do not in the least advise, reserve it for that 
      purpose. 

       The condiments and aromatics being the same for both methods, I shall 
    now describe the procedure for method No. 1.

    IV. The Ingredients of the Soup -- 
       Put into a stewpan of convenient size the flesh of the turtle and 
    its head and bones. Moisten partly with the cooking liquor of the
    carapace, and complete the moistening, in the case of a turtle
    weighing 120 lbs., with enough water to bring the whole to 50 quarts.
    By this means a soup of about thirty to thirty-five quarts will be
    obtained at the end of the operation. Add salt in the proportion of
    one oz. per every five quarts; set to boil; skim, and garnish with
    twelve carrots, a bunch of leeks (about ten bound with a bunch of
    celery), one lb. of parsley stalks, eight onions with ten cloves stuck
    into them, two lbs. of shallots, and one head of garlic. Set to boil
    gently for eight hours. An hour before straining the soup, add to the
    garnish four strips of lemon peel, a bunch of herbs, comprising sweet
    basil, sweet marjoram, sage, rosemary, savory, and thyme, and a bag
    containing four oz. of coriander and two oz. of peppercorns. 
    
       Finally, strain the soup through a napkin; add the pieces of meat from 
    the carapace and the plastron which were put aside for the garnish, 
    and keep it until wanted in specially-made stone crocks.
    
    V. The Serving of the Soup -- 
       When about to serve this soup, heat it; test and rectify its seasoning, 
    and finish it off by means of a port wine glass of very old Madeira to 
    every quart.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
42.2		MOTHER::MATTHEWS		`Sun Nov 11 1984 18:43`	31
	This recipe is from the New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook (1971). Perhaps the novice should tackle fruit bats before attempting turtles. Val FRUIT BAT SOUP (This soup is offered on the off-chance that a reader may find himself in Micronesia, specifically the Caroline Islands, where this is a natural, native delicacy.) 3 fruit bats, well washed but neither skinned nor eviscerated Water 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh ginger 1 large onion, quartered Sea salt to taste Chopped scallions Soy sauce and/or coconut cream 1. Place the bats in a large kettle and add water to cover, the ginger, onion, and salt. Bring to a boil and boil 40 minutes. Strain broth into a second kettle. 2. Take bats, skin them and discard them. Remove meat from the bones and return meat, including any of the viscera fancied, to the broth. Heat. 3. Serve liberally sprinkled with scallions and further seasoned with soy sauce and/or coconut cream. Yield: 4 servings.
42.7		NAVAJO::SECURITY		`Sun Oct 13 1985 16:08`	13
	RE:1 First you take a chicken, (a dead chicken with the head removed), and throw it into a pot of boiling water for about three minuets. Remove from pot, and let it cool slightly. Pluck off all feathers you can grab ahold of. There will some some itty bitty pin feathers that are almost impossible to remove unless you care to use a pair of tweezers. I usually just toss the plucked carcass onto a hot grill and let them char off. I have heard of people using a razor to shave them though. It's easier to buy the chicken in the store, and you don't have that very strange smell clinging to you. But if you desire adventure and/or new experiences.... -sunny-
42.8	Maybe this pot is big enough	MAHLER::MORGENSTEIN	The 5th Ramone	`Wed Nov 05 1986 12:51`	21
	From The New York Times, Wednesday, November 5, 1986 Reprinted without permission. FOR A CAST OF THOUSANDS If a few hundred relatives are coming to the house for Thanksgiving, you may need heavy kitchen equipment. Zabar's if offering a 170-liter heavy gauge copper stock pot from France. Who would need such a monster? "I really don't know," conceded Murray Klein, co-owner of Zabar's. Mr. Klein said that several months ago he ordered a half-dozen 17-liter pots from Mauviel, a major kitchenware manufacturer in Normandy. Much to his astonishment, he said, he received these six copper hot tubs. "Somebody--us or them--must have mispleced a zero," he surmised. The 23-inch-tall pots weigh 103 pounds each, measure 2 feet in diameter and 6.4 feet in circumference. A sample is on display in the store's second-floor kitchenware department, where it has become quite a curiosity item. Price: $1,000. "A few people are considering buying one," Mr. Klein said. "You could always put one in a big apartment and plant a tree in it.
42.11	It's great!!!	HLYCOW::NELSON	Sue Nelson	`Tue Aug 15 1989 18:13`	26
	Hello all, It's been a while since this note has been replied to. I just found this conference, and I thinks it's great. This may sound funny but here goes: I'm from a small rural county just northeast of St. Louis. The churches there have an annual picnic (games, raffles, food, etc.). One of the main features is Turtle soup. It is really very good and people come from miles to feast. The talk of the towns people is "how did the Turtle soup turn out this year? and which church makes the best" We use Snapping Turtles caught from surrounding rivers. All of the ingredients are put into large kettles and cooked and stirred the entire day and served that evening. My family usually gets together once a year and makes their own for a year 'round supply, it's a regular party. If anyone is "interested" just say so, I think I could get my hands on a recipe. Sue Nelson
42.13	turtle=great	TEMPE1::DODD		`Fri Mar 23 1990 16:36`	26
	re .12 I have always loved snapping turtle. we fry ours instead of making soup We caught them in traps that kept them from drowning. GREAT care must be used when handling snapping turtles, I have senn them snap off branches as large as your thumb, and their claws are very nasty. To clean,turn the turtle on her back. Put a stick in its mouth and pull its head out sa far as possible (pull hard it won't let go). Use a sharp ax to sever the head. Beware of the severed head, the jaws will continue to open and shut, and will lock onto anything that enters them Use the ax to remove the claws. Use a stiff knife to cut the cartlege(sp) that connects the upper and lower shells. trim around the legs and neck, and separate the shells. Remove the legs and neck. In the upper shell there is the best tasting fillet of white meat I have ever had. It is under a rib gage that you use a chisel to remove. If you find eggs (they look like leather ping pong balls) bury them in a sandy spot that receives plenty of sun. To fry, the meat is first par boiled (this step really stinks) then coated and fried like chicken. I have heard the thing about seven different flavors but I can't pick out that many. Catching a turtle aiways made you popular in biology ciass because the heart will continue to beat for a couple of days, and with some stimulation can be kept going for over a week.
42.14	Snapping Turtle	WHELIN::ADDEO	Rocco Addeo	`Wed May 06 1992 15:00`	10
	HI All, I plan on catching a HUGH snapping turtle(s) in the near future. (I've already located them in a local lake). I've never had or made turtle soup. If you are interested in snapping turtle soup an have a good receipe and live near Milford/Upton Mass. PLease call me at DTN 297-9869.... Thankx, Rocco Addeo
42.15	You mean you want MORE than the suggestions in this note already?	RANGER::PESENTI	Only messages can be dragged	`Thu May 07 1992 07:54`	4
	.0 has a recipe for turtle soup. .11 is an offer to obtain a recipe for soup made from snapping turtles. -JP
42.16		NOVA::FISHER	Rdb/VMS Dinosaur	`Thu May 07 1992 08:53`	6
	NO, this is a snapping turtle named Hugh, thus it needs something extra special. :-) :-) ed
42.17	Only from a fellow Rdb'er would I expect this	WHELIN::ADDEO	Rocco Addeo	`Thu May 07 1992 16:03`	10
	Well, I plan to do some hunting this weekend to re-locate 'Hugh'...He's a rather large chap...I'd say about 2.5' long and about 1.5' wide....The head was the size of both my closed fists....I almost fell out of the boat when I saw him/her Well, Hugh.....It is a Snapper BTW...I'll let you know when I've landed it.
42.18	G-O-O-D L-U-C-K	NOVA::FISHER	Rdb/VMS Dinosaur	`Fri May 08 1992 05:27`	5
	As long as you think you will still have fists to talk about next week. There's a reason the snapping turtles "fear no evil" ... ed
42.19	Turtle a la King?	ASDG::HARRIS	Brian Harris	`Sun May 10 1992 18:33`	19
	How about 'Turtle a la King'? I found this recipe in the 'American Woman's Cookbook', published by the Culinary Arts Institute, Chicago, 1949. There are several paragraphs on how to kill, clean and cook your turtle (or terrapin) which are too revolting to include here. Turtle a la King **************** 6 hard cooked eggs Few grains allspice 2 Tablespoons butter Few grains nutmeg 2 cups cream 2 cups cooked terrapin or 1/2 teaspoon salt turtle meat 1/8 teaspoon pepper Patty shells or toast Mash egg yolks and blend with softened butter. Heat cream in double boiler and mix gradually with egg yolks. Add seasonings and terrapin or turtle meat and cook 15 minutes in double boiler. Serve on patty shells or on toast. Serves 6.
42.20	Outdoor MAg has lots of info	EMDS::PETERSON		`Fri May 15 1992 17:15`	15
	Find someone who subscribes/buys a fishing mag. called Fur-Fish-Game. They run one or two Snapper stories each year. One article suggested keeping the turtle alive for a week or so in a pen partly submerged in a small wading pool, feeding it fresh burger or veggies for a week, and keeping the water very fresh. This will give the meat a better flavor and texture. Also there are those who claim that the meat from different parts have distinct and different flavors from one another. CP
42.22	turtle soup recipie anyone?	DELNI::GAFFNEY	Gone fishin/racin	`Tue Jul 26 1994 11:36`	6
	After looking through this string, I really didn't find what I'm looking for. Does anyone have a recipie for turtle soup? I'd especially like a cajun type recipie if anybody has one. thanks Turtleman_in_training :*)
42.23	Bring in a taste for me?	TOOK::DELBALSO	I (spade) my (dog face)	`Tue Jul 26 1994 19:43`	32
	From the Acadiana Profile's "Cajun Cooking" book - contributed by Mrs. Edward Hebert, Jr. of Thibodaux in Lafourche Parish 2 lbs turtle meat, chopped 3 T oil 3 T flour 2 lg onions chopped 1 c chopped celery � c chopped bell pepper 2 minced cloves garlic 1 c tomato sauce water � lemon sliced 4 bay leaves Parsley � c sherry 1 T Worcestershire sauce 3 hard cooked eggs S&P to taste Season turtle meat with S&P; fry in oil till brown. Remove from fat. Add flour browning slowly till golden Add Onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic; cook till tender Return turtle meat to pot; add tomato sauce and a cup of water; cook for about 30 minutes Add lemon, bay leaves and two quarts of water; simmer for an hour or until soup has reduced to desired thickness Add parsley, sherry and worcestershire sauce Place slices of hard-cooked eggs sprinkled with paprika on soup plates before serving -Jack