Mock Turtle Soup

This mock turtle soup is made with slow-simmered beef shin, Madeira, lemon, and an optional beef forcemeat.

Ingredients

Forcemeat (optional)

  • 6 tablespoons finely chopped cooked beef shin
  • 2 hard-boiled egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Oyster juice/liquor (optional)
  • Ground cayenne pepper
  • Ground mace
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 eggs
  • Cracker crumbs

Soup

  • 1.5 kg beef shin, cut into large pieces
  • 2 onions
  • 1 bunch of sweet herbs
  • 2 tablespoons flour, toasted in a dry pan until light brown
  • Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 glass of Madeira wine
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Method

  1. Place the beef shin, onions, sweet herbs, salt, and pepper in a large pot. Cover with 4 quarts (4 liters) water and bring to a gentle simmer.
  2. Simmer for 2½–3 hours, skimming as needed, until the beef is very tender.
  3. Lift out the beef. Strain the broth into a clean pot, discarding the onions and herbs. When the beef is cool enough to handle, reserve 6 tablespoons for the optional forcemeat and finely chop or shred the rest.
  4. If making the forcemeat, rub the reserved chopped beef, egg yolks, butter, oyster liquor, cayenne, mace, sugar, and salt together to make a paste.
  5. Mix one raw egg into the forcemeat. Shape it into small balls, dip them in the remaining beaten egg, coat with cracker crumbs, and pan-fry in butter until golden and cooked through.
  6. Return the strained broth and the remaining chopped beef to the pot. Whisk the brown flour with a little cold water to make a smooth slurry, stir it into the soup, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
  7. Add the optional forcemeat, lemon juice, and Madeira. Warm through for 5 minutes without boiling vigorously.
  8. Serve hot.

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