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Southern Mock Turtle Soup

A historical recipe from Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886).

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A historical recipe

Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886). Project Gutenberg eBook #44915.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

France

Known as a French recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 7 ingredients

  1. 2 gallons of water
  2. 1 bunch of celery tops
  3. 1 tablespoonful each of allspice cloves
  4. 1/2 pound of flour
  5. 1/2 pound of veal cutlets
  6. 1/2 pint of wine
  7. 3 onions

Possible health benefits

General information, not medical advice.

  1. Flour Source of phosphorus · Source of copper · Source of manganese · +1

    Source of phosphorus · 106 mg per 100 g, 15% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Phosphorus contributes to normal function of cell membranes.
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.

    Phosphorus is a mineral contained in each cell in our body. Most phosphorus is in the bones and teeth, and some is in your genes. NIH fact sheet

    Source of copper · 0.2 mg per 100 g, 17% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Copper contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues.
    • Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Copper contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    5 more authorised claims
    • Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to normal iron transport in the body.
    • Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Copper contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Copper is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body uses copper to carry out many important functions, including making energy, connective tissues, and blood vessels. NIH fact sheet

    Source of manganese · 0.6 mg per 100 g, 28% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Manganese contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Manganese contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    • Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Manganese contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to stay healthy. Your body uses manganese to make energy and protect your cells from damage. NIH fact sheet

    Source of selenium · 10 µg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
    3 more authorised claims
    • Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function.
    • Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Selenium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Your thyroid gland needs selenium to produce hormones and function properly. NIH fact sheet

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Flour, 00”, USDA FoodData Central.

Claims: EU Register of health claims (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, © European Union, CC BY 4.0), shown only where the ingredient meets the claim's conditions (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Nutrients: USDA FoodData Central (CC0). Facts: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (public domain).

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. Wash a calf's head clean, put 2 gallons of water on it, set it to boil;
  2. put in a hock of ham (smoked), weighing about 2 pounds, also thyme, 3 onions, 1 bunch of celery tops, 1 tablespoonful each of allspice cloves, not ground;
  3. let it boil down slowly to 1-1/2 gallons.
  4. When the head is done take it out, being careful to remove the brains and tongue, then cut the meat into small pieces.
  5. Strain the soup;
  6. brown 1/2 pound of flour and make a batter of it to thicken the soup;
  7. grate 1/2 of a nutmeg in it, put in pepper and salt to taste;
  8. take a portion of the brain and make it into small cakes, as you would fritters, fry them in lard;
  9. take 1/2 pound of veal cutlets, and a small part of the ham, chop up with a little parsley and onion, season with pepper and salt;
  10. make small forcemeat balls, frying them in lard, having first rolled them in eggs, then in breadcrumbs;
  11. put the forcemeat ball in the soup just before dishing up, together with 1/2 pint of wine.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Grater
  • Sieve
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #44915 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44915). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.