Snapping turtle meat slow-simmered into a dark, sherry-laced soup with vegetables and spice. A tidewater tradition of eating the bounty of the Chesapeake's creeks and marshes.
Catching snapping turtles in the creeks and stewing them was tidewater knowledge, shared in Black waterman and rural communities of the Chesapeake. Turtle soup was both everyday survival food and, dressed with sherry, a delicacy. It reflects eating fully from the Bay's waters.
Turtle meat is lean and high in protein, iron, B12, and zinc, with some omega-3s — a nutrient-dense wild protein. Slow-simmered into soup with vegetables, it makes a mineral-rich, low-fat dish. The traditional sherry and roux add a little fat and alcohol; the soup is otherwise a clean, vegetable-forward way to eat a wild protein.
Clean and cut the turtle meat (several distinct cuts come from one turtle), then simmer long and slow with onion, celery, tomato, and seasoning until tender. Build with a dark roux or brown the meat for depth, season with spice and lemon, and finish each bowl with a splash of dry sherry and a sliced hard-boiled egg in some traditions. It takes hours to tenderize.
Free, no account needed to ask.