Turtle meat is beneficial because it strengthens the kidneys and liver, improves memory, and has a positive effect on intelligence. However, it is difficult to find this rare and tender meat, because in most countries hunting for turtles is legally prohibited. But, if you still managed to get an exotic product, you should definitely try making turtle soup.
Turtle soup for Europeans is a very healthy delicacy and a real gourmet dish. In China, everything is different and more commonplace. Here it is prepared daily and according to different recipes. There are also national traditions that they try to observe. So, for example, in all Hebei restaurants, before serving an exotic dish to the table, honorable guests are necessarily offered two bowls, one of which contains the blood of a turtle, and the other contains bile diluted with rice vodka. The contents of the cups should be drunk, paying tribute to tradition, and then proceed to the meal.
What is needed
Every housewife in China knows that a green turtle, caiman turtle, vulture turtle, Far Eastern turtle or red-eared turtle is used to prepare an exquisite dish. Fans of surprising guests and households will also need the following ingredients, without which real turtle soup will not be so tasty:
- lean beef meat (250 g);
- onion (1 pc.);
- parsley root (1-2 pcs.);
- spices for broth (peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves);
- aromatic herbs (marjoram, parsley, dill, basil, rosemary);
- hot cayenne pepper (1 pc.);
- sweet red pepper (2 pcs.);
- lime or lemon (1 pc.);
- a few stalks of asparagus;
- starch (2 tsp);
- sherry (200 ml);
- rice vodka;
- garlic (2-5 cloves);
- salt to taste.
Cooking method
Remove the shell from the turtle, gut it without touching the gallbladder (put it aside). Cut off the head and limbs. Drain the blood into a separate container. Rinse the reptile carcass under running water and cut into small slices. Boil the meat in salted water over low heat for 3-4 hours along with the beef, pre-cut into cubes. At the end of cooking, add the onions, cut into rings, and roots. As soon as the meat is ready, remove it from the pan, and strain the finished broth. After that, combine the meat and broth.
Pour wine into a separate saucepan, add aromatic herbs to taste, boil for 3-4 minutes and leave to infuse for another 15 minutes. Pour the finished broth into a saucepan with soup, add asparagus, sweet pepper, cut into thin strips. Continue cooking the soup for 8-10 minutes until cooked through. After boiling, add starch to thicken.
Before serving, chopped garlic, finely chopped fresh herbs and hot peppers are traditionally added to the turtle soup. To comply with all the rules, the blood of a turtle is also served at the table in a bowl. In the second, you need to mix bile with strong, for example, rice vodka in a 1: 1 ratio. Season the drink with lime or lemon juice and serve chilled in a separate bowl.
