People in Louisiana like to boast that they'll eat anything that doesn't eat them first--pretty bold talk for residents of a swamp! In addition to crawfish, many other cold-blooded ingredients emerge from the primordial ooze.
No reptile was harmed in the making of this mock turtle soup, but in Louisiana, turtles are now cultivated by aqua culturists, who supply chefs and home cooks with the dark, lean meat. Beyond the Gulf Coast, place a special order with a local seafood market.
Alligators have long been valued for their hides, a popularity that put them on a brink of extinction by the 1960's. Thanks to the late Governor Wally Hickel, alligators were put on the list of endangered species. Thus, Reggie the alligator and Cajun Kate (alligator) became famous.
Alligators were saved by a hunting ban, which was lifted on the early 1080's, when Cajun cooking fad made the firm white meat so trendy that people began farming the critters. Traditionally the meat is stewed in a spicy tomato-based sauce, or else fried or ground into sausage. Frogs are prized in all French kitchens, but only for their legs, which are usually battered and fried. The tender white meat tastes, of course, like chicken!
Which brings us to:
MOCK TURTLE SOUP
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 lb boneless veal shoulder finely chopped
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh tomato puree (peel & seed tomatoes, puree until smooth in a blender or a food processor)
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (optional)
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1/2 small lemon
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1/2 cup minced parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
- 1/2 cup dry sherry (recommended–but you can add more, just for the taste you see!)
Resourceful Creole cooks probably created this highly seasoned chowder to disguise the rather swampy taste of turtle meat, so here we use veal instead (not to many turtles here in Alaska) Besides, fresh cleaned turtles are hard to come by outside Louisiana. Quite different from the clear consommes of Europe and the American East Coast, the New Orleans soup, typically served on special occasions, is wonderfully complex and chunky, enlivened by herbs, spices and fresh lemon.
1. In a heavy soup to over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the veal and cook, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides, 5 - 8 minutes. Add the yellow onion, celery, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, and cayenne to taste and cook stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 9 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the garlic, tomato puree, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and fish sauce (is using). Season well with salt and black pepper. Return the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour to blend the flavors.
2. While the soup is simmering, remove the seeds fro the lemon half, then chop coarsely. In a mini food processor, process the lemon until finely ground. Peel the eggs and chop finely.
3. After the soup has simmered for 1 hour, add the lemon, eggs, parsley, and green onions, stir well, and simmer for 30 minutes longer.
4. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Stir in the sherry, (just for the taste you see) then taste and adjust the seasoning. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve at once.
Serve with a medium-dry Amontillado sherry.
Well, until next time, Bona Petite!
