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| What You Need: |
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2 pounds fresh, frozen or canned turtle meat, thoroughly defrosted if frozen
2 quarts water
1 small onion, peeled and quartered, plus 1½ cups finely chopped onions
1 small bay leaf, crumbled
½ teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne)
2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons butter, cut into ½-inch bits
½ cup flour
¼ cup canned tomato puree
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup pale dry sherry
2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, preferably the flat-leaf Italian variety
1 lemon, sliced crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Combine the turtle meat and water in a heavy 5- to 6-quart casserole and bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile skimming off the foam and scum as they rise to the surface. Drop in the quartered onion, bay leaf, red pepper and salt, and reduce the heat to low.
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2. Simmer, partially covered, for about 2 hours, or until the turtle meat is tender and shows no resistance when pierced with the point of a small sharp knife.
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3. With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate and cut it into ½-inch cubes. Strain the contents of the casserole through a fine sieve set over a bowl and reserve 4 cups of the stock. (If there is less than 4 cups, add fresh or canned chicken stock to make up that amount.)
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4. Rinse the casserole, add the butter bits and melt over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the chopped onions and, stirring frequently, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are soft and brown. Watch carefully and regulate the heat so that the onions color deeply without burning.
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5. Mix in the flour and, still stirring occasionally, cook until the flour browns. Stirring constantly with a wire whisk, pour in the reserved 4 cups of stock and cook over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, thickens lightly and is smooth.
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6. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add the cubed turtle meat, the sherry and the chopped hard-cooked eggs and, stirring gently, simmer the soup for 2 or 3 minutes longer to heat the meat through. Add the parsley and taste for seasoning.
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7. Ladle the soup into a heated tureen or individual soup plates, garnish with the lemon slices and serve at once.
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