How do I handle the can of turtle before using it?

The can is opened and warmed in a water bath, then the contents are poured into a colander. The liquid that drains through is stirred into the soup, while the meat is cut into small squares and added to the soup at serving.

What is the base of the soup itself?

A brown roux: 50 g butter is browned with onion and 50 g wheat flour, and extended with 2 liters of boiling bouillon. It is then seasoned with paprika (a pinch), half a lemon, sherry and Madeira (1/2 dl of each) and salt to taste.

When should the wine be added?

At the very end — the wine and salt are added to taste right at the end, so the aroma of the sherry and Madeira is not boiled away.

Where does the recipe come from?

From Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), page 58. It is figured for 6 servings and about 45 minutes of preparation.

Soup of Canned Turtle

Name: Soup of Canned Turtle
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients: 1 can canned turtle (can be replaced with about 400 g boiled veal or veal sweetbread); 2 l bouillon (strong meat stock); 50 g butter; 50 g wheat flour; 0.5 dl sherry; 0.5 dl Madeira; 1 pinch paprika; 0.5 pcs lemon (juice and preferably a little zest); 1 pcs onion; salt (to taste)

Erken's simple version of turtle soup made with canned turtle: a brown roux with onion extended with bouillon, seasoned with paprika, lemon, sherry and Madeira, with meat cubes in the soup. A historical party dish; turtle should today be replaced with veal or sweetbread.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 58 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Turtle soup was one of the finest party soups in the bourgeois kitchen around 1900. Where the genuine soup required a whole animal and hours of blanching and boiling, "preserved turtle" in a can was a far simpler solution that gave the same exclusive character. Today all sea turtles are protected, and the recipe is reproduced as a cultural-historical document — feel free to use good veal or veal sweetbread instead, the way the classic "mock turtle" was made.

How to make it

1
Brown the roux
Peel and finely chop the onion. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot, brown the onion and the flour gently until it is light brown and smells nutty.
2
Extend with stock
Gradually add the boiling bouillon while whisking constantly, so the soup becomes smooth. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
3
Prepare the turtle
Open the can of turtle and warm it in a water bath. Pour the contents into a colander and let the liquid drain off. Stir the drained liquid into the soup.
4
Season
Add the paprika, lemon juice, sherry and Madeira. Season with salt. The soup must not boil after the wine is added.
5
Serving
Cut the meat into small cubes, place them in the soup tureen and pour the hot soup over. Serve at once.

Changes from the original

Measurements are converted to modern units (1 del. = 1 dl). Amounts of salt and wine are given as "to taste" as the original states. Turtle meat is marked with a suggested substitution (veal/sweetbread), since sea turtle is protected.

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From1914 1949 Modernised

To1914 1949 Modernised

1949 (proofread, p. 69) → Modernised~89% of the text changedremovedadded

1 ~~dåse henkokt skilpadde,~~ boks hermetisk skilpadde (kan erstattes med ca. 400 g kokt kalvekjøtt eller kalvebrissel). 2 ~~l. buljong,~~ l buljong (kraftig kjøttkraft). 50 ~~gr. smør,~~ g smør. 50 ~~gr. hvetemel, 1 del. vin,~~ g hvetemel. 0,5 dl sherry. 0,5 dl madeira. 1 knivsodd ~~paprika, ½ sitron,~~ paprikapulver. 0,5 stk sitron (saft og gjerne litt skall). 1 stk løk. ~~Brun~~ salt (etter smak). Skrell og finhakk løken. Smelt smøret ~~med~~ i en tykkbunnet gryte, brun løken og ~~melet, spe~~ melet forsiktig til det er lysebrunt og dufter nøtteaktig.. Spe litt etter litt med den kokende ~~kraft. Skilpaddedåsen åpnes, varmes~~ buljongen under stadig visping, så suppen blir glatt. La den småkoke noen minutter.. Åpne boksen med skilpadde og varm den i ~~vannbad, helles~~ vannbad. Hell innholdet i ~~dørslag. Det~~ et dørslag og la kraften renne av. Bland kraften som renner ~~igjennem, blandes med suppen, som tillages med krydderier~~ gjennom inn i suppen.. Tilsett paprika, sitronsaft, sherry og ~~sitron. Skilpaddekjøttet skjæres op~~ madeira. Smak til med salt. Suppen må ikke koke etter at vinen er tilsatt.. Skjær kjøttet i små ~~firkanter og serveres~~ terninger, legg dem i ~~suppen. Vin~~ suppeterrinen og ~~salt efter smak tilsettes.~~ hell den varme suppen over. Serveres straks.

Note on Modernised

Mål er omregnet til moderne enheter (1 del. = 1 dl). Mengder for salt og vin er angitt som «etter smak» slik originalen sier. Skilpaddekjøtt er merket med forslag om erstatning (kalvekjøtt/brissel), siden havskilpadde er fredet.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I handle the can of turtle before using it?: The can is opened and warmed in a water bath, then the contents are poured into a colander. The liquid that drains through is stirred into the soup, while the meat is cut into small squares and added to the soup at serving.
What is the base of the soup itself?: A brown roux: 50 g butter is browned with onion and 50 g wheat flour, and extended with 2 liters of boiling bouillon. It is then seasoned with paprika (a pinch), half a lemon, sherry and Madeira (1/2 dl of each) and salt to taste.
When should the wine be added?: At the very end — the wine and salt are added to taste right at the end, so the aroma of the sherry and Madeira is not boiled away.
Where does the recipe come from?: From Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), page 58. It is figured for 6 servings and about 45 minutes of preparation.

Equipment for this dish

Cast-iron cookware set →Cast iron handles long, slow simmering – just what soups and stocks need.Engrospris.no

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