Turtle Soup : Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds turtle meat, trimmed of all sinew and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 8 cloves garlicminced
• 2 medium-size onions, chopped fine
• 4 stalks celery, chopped fine
• 2 medium-size green peppers, chopped fine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium-size Creole tomatoes, seeded and chopped fine
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 quarts beef stock
• 1 cup worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Crystal brand pepper sauce, or other relatively mild pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 5 large eggs, hard-boiled, chopped fine
• 6 ounces fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and leaves sliced fine
• zest from 3 lemons, chopped fine
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup good-quality sherry