I caught a nice snapping turtle last night
out of my older brothers lake.  It measures
about 14" across the width of its back.
 The last time I caught one of these things
was about 10 years ago.  I cleaned it and cooked
it by boiling it first, then rolling it in
flour and deep frying it.  
 I was showing it to an older gentleman at the local general store on the way home, and he asked me if I was going to roast it or make turtle soup.  I hadn't thought about those
options, and I figure if anybody can give me
a good recipe on how to prepare it, my fellow
AR15'ers can.  Here's your chance - let's have
some recipes!!!!

a3kid, you absolutely need to get the following books:

"The Bounty of the Earth Cookbook" -Sylvia Bashline

"Native Indian Wild Game, Fish & Wild Foods Cookbook" Edited by David Hunt (various contributors)

If your local library doesn't have them, you can request them Inter Library Loan (ILL) and xerox the recipes you want.

"The Bounty of the Earth Cookbook" is more gourmet style cooking.  "Native Indian" has good simple recipes plus recipes for "unusual" game dishes (ie. maskrat, groundhog, etc.).

DaMan
PS - If I understood your post, you have a snapper on hand RIGHT NOW.  Here's ONE good recipe:

Snapper with Madeira

1 1/4 # turtle meat (filleted from bones in pieces)
3 tbs. butter
flour
salt and pepper
3/4 Madeira
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 drops (minimum) Tobasco (I always use more)
chopped parsley
paprika

Heat butter in heavy skillet. Douse meat in flour and brown lightly in butter. Season with salt and pepper.  Add 1/2 cup Madeira, cover and simmer until meat is tender (approx. 1 Hr.). Add a little water if needed. Just before serving, add the rest of the Madeira and the cream.  Heat to boiling.  Blend in tobasco . Serve on buttered toast points, topped with a little parsley and a sprinkling of paprika.

I'm not sure of the recipe or exactly how to do it, but I have heard that roasted turtle is excellent.

Michael

Take it down to China town and sell it for big buck. They know how to cook it.

Be VERY glad you caught a common snapper.  I don't think Alligator Snappers live up that way. Bring one of those in the boat, and YOU will be in the water!  The true NINJA of turtles, these don't draw their heads back in the shell for nothing.

Long claws, nasty jaws, spikes on the back.  Look and act like something out of a horror movie.

[b] SELL IT? [/b] No way!  The wife & kids
wiped out the last one completely in about
10 minutes!!!  I was just looking for a few
other recipes to consider before I did the old
"boil and fry" routine.

BTT edited my previous post to include a good recipe

Depending on where you caught it you may want to keep it captive for a couple of days to a week in some fresh, clean water.  Helps get the mud taste out if it's a swamper.  Don't let this discourage you.

When you think it's ready stick a stick in it's mouth and pull the head out and wack it off with an axe.  Cut the shell open and clean and cook like chicken.

The heart should go for a couple of hours with a little encouragement if kept in warm salt water.  So should the head.

No doubt!  Common snapper or not, this one came
into the boat with nasty attitude.  Emily, my
8 year old was looking at the turtle, then at
the water....then back at the turtle, then at
the water.  Kinda reminded me of the first time
my Dad took me fishing in Canada.  I was about
10, and we were in a little 12' two-seater row-
boat.  He hooked a really BIG northern (just
under 20lbs) and we collectively landed it. When
we got it untangled from the net it was going
crazy in the boat.  Even at that age the only
thing that kept me in the boat was the thought
that there might be something BIGGER in the
water.....

Roger that, Halfcocked.  Actually I'm rinsing
it off and changing the water 2x a day, probably
until Saturday when the family is together.

I just did a quick search looking for a recipe for New Orleans Turtle Soup.  It's the best dang stuff!  Sadly, all I could find was this Emeril recipe labled just plain turtle soup.

It sounds like it could be the same though.  I'd definitely give it a try if I had me a snapper!



Turtle Soup  



Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

1 1/2 pound turtle meat
2 3/4 teaspoon salt, in all
3/4 teaspoon cayenne, in all
6 cups water
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onions
4 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped hard boiled eggs
Put the turtle meat in a large saucepan with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and the water. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer the meat to a platter. Cut the meat into 1/2 inch dice and reserve the liquid. In another large sauce pan, combine the butter and flour over medium heat, stirring constantly for 6 to 8 minutes to make a dark roux. Add the onions, shallots, bell peppers and celery. Stir occasionally and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables are slightly tender. Add the bay leaves, thyme and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the turtle meat. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the Worcestershire sauce, the remaining salt and cayenne, the turtle stock (about 6 cups) lemon juice, and sherry. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the parsley, green onions, and eggs and simmer for 45 minutes. Garnish with green onions and chopped eggs.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

dogbert, thanks for that recipe!  I always pick up a 6-pack of Turtle Chowder at Sid & Roxie's in Islamorada, Florida when I'm down that way.  There's still 5 cans at home. MMMmmmmm....

Damn!  We shot one last summer in my girlfriend's dad's pond and just threw it away!  It was almost as big as yours but I didnt know they were that good to eat!  I know there is one smaller one left in pond.  Next time I am up there I will have to look for it.

I don't know how similar snapper meat is to a softshell turtle, but we used to catch big assed softshells on out trotlines growing up in Texas, and we would make stew out of them.

No special recipe, just boil the meat, take out the fat that floats up, and repeat until no fat floats up, then set the meat aside, make a roux, and put in anything you have on hand that would make good gumbo or stew fixins. I like to make mine with Rotel tomatoes, okra, yellow squash, onions, bell peppers, lotsa hot shit, and a couple of cut up boiled potatoes (preferably leftover potatoes from the last crawfish boil, if ya got'em). Some salt and bay leaves to taste also. Throw it all in a big pot with the roux and meat, stir and simmer it until all the veggies are tender. If it gets too thick, add some water or beer(preferably Lone Star if ya got it). Get mama to make some cornbread while all this is going on, and prepare for culinary bliss, my man.

P.S.  Save some for me!!

Hey Beekeeper nice to hear from you again.  The snappers are considered real pests in that area and only a few of the older folks seem to eat them on a regular basis.  There is a bunch of small lakes and spring fed ponds and are full of these things.  You can see their rough looking heads when they come up for air once in while. A lot painted turtles too.  But the snappers are nasty little guys! I wouldnt want to face the biting end of one.  Does anyone know if these guys travel from pond to pond? There always seems to be more.