We had the privilage of interviewing Chef Kirsten Seltzer for our Whose Cookin’ Now article. She just rocks. Down-to-earth, tough and rooted in family. She attributes her love for cooking to her  Grandmother who spent 50 years in the biz. This is her Grandmother’s turtle soup.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds of chopped turtle meat
  • 1 cup of finely chopped onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped, optional
  • 3 tablespoon of cooking oil
  • 2 tablespoons of flour
  • one 6 ounce can of tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs of parsley
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of whole allspice
  • 1 tablespoon of whole cloves
  • 1 lemon, sliced

Wash the turtle meat thoroughly and set aside. Sauté the onion and garlic in oil, then add the flour and brown lightly. Add the tomato paste and simmer for 3 minutes. Add 2 quarts of boiling water, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and turtle meat. Tie the allspice and cloves in a cloth bag and drop into the mixture (crab or shrimp boil bags can also be use).

Simmer for 1 hour or until turtle is tender. Remove the spice bag. Add the  lemon and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 1 hour. Sherry to taste maybe added when served, if desired. 6 servings

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Read more about Chef Kirsten Seltzer in Whose Cookin’ Now. Click here.