Southern Turtle Soup

Southern Turtle Soup

5 lb Turtle meat, cut 2″ cubes
3 pt Cold Water
32 oz Whole Tomatoes
1 t Garlic
6 oz Tomato sauce
1/2 c Celery, finely chopped
12 oz Mushrooms + juice

4 ea Onions, white, finely chop
1/4 c Parsley, finely chopped
3 ea Lemon peel, small slivers
1 x Cayenne pepper/generous
1 x Salt & pepper to taste

Cooking oil

6t flour

Add a thin layer of oil into a large fry pan. Add Turtle meat and cook until tender over medium heat. About 25 minutes. Remove. Use remaining oil and meat juice, and add about 6 tablespoons of flour. Use a 50/50 mix of oil/meat juice and flour (adjust flour to match drippings). When brown, add onion. Cook until transparent.

Add 3 pints cold water and bring to a boil. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, celery, garlic, mushrooms. (green pepper can also be added) Let boil about 15 or 16 minutes. Add fried turtle meat, parsley, lemon peel and salt & pepper to taste. Let simmer over low fire for at least one hour. Serve over hot rice.