THE COOK SHOP CREOLE TURTLE SOUP

TURTLE SOUP

My earliest memory of cowan, aka turtle soup, was my great grand father, Phillip Joseph Johnson's 80th birthday celebration. The entire family was gathered at the home he shared with his wife, my great grand mother, Marguerite. Living in the heart of the 7th ward in New Orleans, my family faithfully carried out Black Creole traditions. This was especially true where food was concerned. In honor of Popa's 80th birthday, my grand mother prepared his favorite dish- cowan soup. When this childhood favorite was placed before him, he actually cried. We all watched with anticipation as he finally tasted it. He chewed slowly and savored the flavors, then smiled. "This is really good." he said. My heart was literally bursting with joy. I loved my great grand father so much, and if he was happy enough to shed tears of joy, then I was that happy also. We all were. As I always say, food is an expression of love. It's not just a meal, Food also contains the intention behind it. It's the love and care that go into preparing it. You can taste and feel it with every bite. In my family, we were loved and lavished with good food.

So here is the turtle soup recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs Turtle Meat bone-in will weigh more, or boneless.
• 2 Tbs The Cook Shop Creole Seasoning
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 11 Whole Black Peppercorns
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
• 2 Yellow Onions- diced
• 1 Green Bell Pepper- deseeded and diced
• 2 Celery Ribs- diced
• 8 Cloves Garlic- divided
• 1 Tbs Salt
• 12 Cups Water
• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 Can Crushed Tomatoes- 29 Ounces
• 3 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tb Paprika
• ½ Cup Dry Sherry
• ⅓ Cup Fresh Parsley- chopped
• 3 Large Hardboiled Eggs- chopped
• 1 Lemon- zest and juice                                                                 

Directions:

1. Rinse, pat dry with paper towels, and season turtle meat with salt, pepper, and        The Cook Shop Creole Seasoning Blend. Next, heat pan, add a little butter, and        pan sear meat. After pan searing the turtle meat, add it to your large stock pot.

2. Add diced onion, bell pepper, and celery to the stock pot, along with garlic                cloves, bay leaves, some of the parsley, 2 Tbs of The Cook Shop Creole                    Seasoning Blend, 1 Tb salt, and peppercorns. Add water to cover (about 12              cups), and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer for 3-4 hours.

3. The stock is ready when the meat is tender and falling off the bone. Skim the            foam from the top, then pass the fluid through a sieve, and set the turtle                    stock/broth aside. Remove all meat without taking the gristly, fatty pieces and          set aside.

4. In a large Dutch Oven, add the butter over medium-high heat and melt.

5. Add the flour and stir together. Cook until a peanut butter color is reached. Stir        continuously to ensure that you do not burn the roux.

6. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper and celery to the roux and stir together.          Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add 4 chopped garlic cloves.

7. Slowly add the turtle broth, stirring continuously, until an almost thick gravy-like        consistency is reached.

8. Add the crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire Sauce, Creole Seasoning to taste,          cayenne pepper, paprika, and sherry. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer            covered for about 20 minutes.

9. Add the turtle meat, chopped boiled eggs, chopped parsley, juice of 1 lemon            and the zest. Stir together, gently. Allow to simmer together for about 10                    minutes. 

10. Serve garnished with parsley.

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