louisiana turtle recipes

Their numbers were limited when it was discovered, and even now not much is known about this species. From fish, crayfish, mollusks, insects, tadpoles, and an abundance of vegetation. Quick list of the native turtles of Louisiana: Alligator Snapping Turtle Macroclemys temminckii Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentina Common Musk Turtle (Stinkpot) Sternotherus odoratus Gopher Tortoise Gopherus polyphemus Gulf Coast Box Turtle Terrapene carolina major Gulf Coast Smooth Softshell Apalone mutica calvata One of the main visual differences between Southern Painted turtles and the previously mentioned Eastern is the red stripe that runs through the middle of the carapace on the former. Thats why you can find such a wide range of reptiles. I'm trying to find other turtle recipes, besides soup. All sea turtles are endangered and its illegal to own or even touch any sea turtle. The Eastern River Cooter is a colorful medium to large turtle. The upper half of this turtles head is covered in white, and the rest of the skin is green with white stripes. Turtle noses dimple the water's surface inside the trap. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, melt the 4 Tbsp of Unalted Butter over medium-high heat, add the diced Turtle Meat and saute until nicely browned. They can also stay underwater for a long time. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Try our $10 Trial Subscription (3 issues). Once done, the soup is served in individual bowls, often with sherry, lemon wedges, or crusty bread on the side. Weve examined groups like Map turtles to Softshell turtles, and Mud turtles to Box turtles. Learn how your comment data is processed. Hunters take these shells and turn them into frivolous trinkets such as glasses rims, hair accessories, lamps, and other such items. The brown, muscular head may have either yellow stripes or round spots. To get fresh drinking water, the Diamondback Terrapin will either swim to the surface and drink the rainwater that congregates there before it mixes, or they will come ashore and hold their mouths open. Louisiana, though typically shown as nothing but swampland, actually has a wide variety of landscapes. This will be a great recipe and works great for soft shell, yellow bellies and alligator/black turtles. Soup Recipes. Ornate Box turtles are mainly found in Louisianas southwestern areas, but there are a few scattered populations elsewhere in the state. They can sometimes be seen basking on rocks or logs at the edge of the water, but are notoriously difficult to capture. Add the bay leaves and about a tablespoon of salt. If you have never cooked turtle meat before, the easiest way to start is by frying it. In a large Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. 1 4-lb. These evasive turtles are found across Louisiana and can breathe underwater. Pour enough cooking oil in a large pot to cover the bottom. Their shells can vary from black and brown to gray or olive. Chicken Clemenceau. French Quarter: 613 Royal. Add the stock and simmer for 30 minutes. These turtles have a small head with a yellow or orange dot behind each eye. Native Turtles of Louisiana (with Pictures) - TurtleOwner.com They can be found in many areas of moving water such as rivers or streams. My turtle recipes are below. Like many Painted turtles, their plastrons are yellowish in color. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about three hours. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until the meat is tender, 2-2 12 hours. Then simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours (or until turtle is tender). These turtles are mostly carnivorous, feeding on tadpoles, fish, crayfish, dragonflies, spiders, and other aquatic insects. Lower the heat to medium, add both types of onions, the celery, and garlic. Turtle Sauce Piquante | Louisiana Crawfish Company Head to our Green Sea turtles page for more information. Turtle Soup - Louisiana Cookin Add the remaining ingredients except for the turtle meat and cook 10 minutes stirring constantly until ingredients are blended. Spoon tablespoons full of hot caramel over the pecans. Louisiana Cookin' - Recipes, New Orleans Cuisine. As their name implies, they have three claws on their hindlegs rather than four. The Red-eared Slider is one of the most popular species of pet turtle on the market. At the table, add 1 teaspoon sherry to each soup plate. Often you can see these large turtles crowding logs, rocky outcroppings, and banks. When looking for a place to stay, River Cooters look for plenty of basking spots as this is a beloved pastime. Frog Leg RecipesBest Fish RecipesWild Game Recipes. These turtles prefer deep ocean waters where they can feast on their favorite food, lions mane jellyfish. Quick Reference Section Ornate Box Turtle Tree-toed Box Turtle Chicken Turtle Eastern River Cooter Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin Mississippi Map Turtle Remove meat from bones. Drain and set aside. The Sportsmans Paradise has a wide variety of reptiles you may come across while on your travels. They prefer still, to very slow moving, shallow waters such as swamps, bogs, and small ponds. He is an active writer, book author and outdoorsman. If so, then feel free to comment below whether you are looking to purchase a turtle or are just a herpetology enthusiast! Cajun hospitality means good food - Louisiana Sportsman Set aside. Their population reached critically low numbers in the 1980s, but have since started coming back. They also have nubs and fleshy spikes on their shells. Add the veal pieces and cook while stirring frequently until brown on all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes. Cook bacon in stew pot until done, remove bacon and set aside. Red Eared Sliders commonly have an olive green shell, with yellowish striped markings on their scales. The recipes below are from two of the towns late, old time turtle experts. What we do is soak the turtle in milk for 30 minutes - hour (in the refrigerator). We love hearing from our readers. These beautiful little turtles have prominent, black-tipped ridges running down the spine of their brown to olive shells. []. Remove meat from pot, and set aside. Melvin Vanacor, Sr, (1934-2003) was always called by his nickname T-Nom, which means little man in Cajun French. The second difference is the size. Wash Boneless Turtle Meat and cut into bite size pieces. Cut into 2 1/2 -inch squares and allow dough to dry on floured board, 10-12 minutes before frying. Razor-backed Musk turtles are carnivorous and feed mainly on aquatic invertebrates, such as shellfish, crustaceans, fish, and mollusks. If they find a piece of turtle in it, its seldom larger than a match head and the soup tastes more of sherry wine than turtle. Louisiana, though typically shown as nothing but swampland, actually has a wide variety of landscapes. The same coloration continues on their heads and limbs. this will make a really shallow, dark gravy. These turtles are carnivorous and will eat anything they can fit in their mouths. Also accompanying these stripes is a protruding snout and several fleshy barbels along the chin. Store Locator; Recipes. Metairie 1: Old Metairie: 1517 Metairie Road. 2 lb. Basking in the sun helps to increase the dark coloration. Frogs May be harvested using any visible light and mechanical devices known as frog catchers or with devices that puncture the skin (gigs or spears). This is definitely not recommended as these turtles carry an extremely powerful bite. Stir in orange. Put in heavy pot and add all other ingredients. These turtles prefer to live in slow moving waters and floodplains along larger rivers. Three-toed Box turtles are omnivores will eat fish and invertebrates as well as plants. Turtles in Louisiana (20 Native Species) - All Turtles Weve also taken a quick look at the Gopher tortoise, a vulnerable terrestrial species native to Louisiana. 25 Easy Cajun Recipes for a Taste of Louisiana - Insanely Good When they hunt together the turtles use their sharp claws and beaks to tear pieces off the birds and eat them. The skin along the limbs, head, and neck is usually dark brown to black with yellow stripes. They usually dwell in the Mississippi river areas of Louisiana in central and northern counties. Alligator snapping turtles most frequently feed on fish, molluscs and other turtles. Add the garlic, tomatoes, okra, roux and Cajun seasoning. Large bodies of water such as rivers and lakes with abundant basking spots are where you will find these turtles. Turtle sauce piquants are especially favored in Des Allemands, Mark and Noochs hometown. They will also eat some vegetation. Ouachita Map turtles can be distinguished from other Map turtles by the large yellow spots on the sides of their heads. Lightly brown it in oil and set it aside. This classic Creole soup has been on New Orleans menus for centuries and has only gotten better with age. Chicken turtles are a semi-aquatic species that have long, striped necks and oval shaped shells. In his boat, he wore white books, but once on land, he kicked them off, even when it was cold. So watch out for falling turtles when visiting the Louisiana bayous. Grind coarse and find a great turtle soup recipe; it really is awesome! Mock Turtle Soup Save Recipe Print Yields: 6-8 servings Ingredients cup unsalted butter 6 celery stalks, chopped 1 cup chopped yellow onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 pounds . Most are found in New Orleans and other southern cities. Stir bacon, carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and spices into stew pot and bring to a boil. They turn aggressive to anyone who approaches them and will hiss or bite if people get too close. Make a brown roux of the fat and flour. Dredge the turtle in flour. They can often be seen swimming in the water with their heads poking out, similar to periscopes. As the turtle ages, this pattern gets fainter. Misssissippi Map turtles have dark shells, often brown or black and have contour-like yellow markings. Ingredients: Grandma Blanches Caramel Recipe 4 cups pecans chopped 2 bags chocolate chips (dark or white can be used too) Spread pecans out on a cookie sheet, make the caramels according to above recipe. At night they search for freshwater clams, thick snails, and crustaceans. Gradually blend in flour, mixing well. Diamondback terrapins, the beautifully patterned turtles inhabiting brackish waters along the East Coast, were harvested so heavily for food that the U.S. government started to get concerned about . Kemps Ridley Sea turtles eat crustaceans and crabs but may feed on discarded crabs and bycatch. The Gopher tortoise, when born, is brightly colored, but it quickly fades. 11. Contact Us| Subscribe Newsletter|Privacy Policy| Advertise With Us, Click herefor crawfish and seafood distributors, office 504.208.9959,New Orleans, Louisiana, Tables of Weights Measures and Equivalents, 1 pound turtle meat, cut into -inch cubes, 1 quart beef stock (add turtle bones when making the stock, if available), Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste as needed. Add celery, onions, garlic and seasonings. Return first batch of meat to pot along with onion, celery, and bell pepper; cook until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Finely chop 1/2 cup toasted pecans, leaving the remaining 1 1/2 cups whole. In the wild, the common musk turtle would eat a wide variety of water fish and insects. Tie together thyme and oregano sprigs with butchers twine; add to pot and simmer 35 minutes. A sting caught them illegally selling box turtles, the feds say; they Try stir-frying the meat with bacon in a very hot skillet or adding it to a stew or gumbo. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. They will eat fungi, berries, grasses, insects, worms, spiders, slugs, and snails, as well as some carrion. Razor-backed Musk turtles are mainly an aquatic turtle species common across much of Louisiana. They also consume underwater vegetation. In fact, it was considered a subspecies of the Ouachita Map Turtle until very recently! Eastern River Cooters are mainly herbivores, preferring to eat vegetation and fruits rather than meat such as fish or insects. Louisiana Crawfish Tail Meat 1 lb $22. Dinner Ideas. 5 Traditional New Orleans Soups for Mardi Gras | HuffPost Life 1 / 36 Get this recipe! Recreational Reptile and Amphibian Collecting | Louisiana Department of Most Louisianans who try it today wonder what all the fuss is about. Heat in 15-second increments until chocolate can be stirred smooth. Render the turtle meat (cook until brown) at a medium to high heat. Add turtle meat and add enough boiling salted water to cover the meat. Two subspecies of Chicken turtle are native to Louisiana; the Eastern Chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia reticularia) and the Western Chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria). Colors vary between black and a dark gray. While its rare, these turtles may be seen off the coast of Louisiana while they are migrating. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are done. These burrows can be up to 20 feet long, and its estimated that one tortoise will dig nearly 30 to 40 in a lifetime. In the winter, Ornate Box turtles will either dig out a burrow or take over an abandoned one. They will feed on insects, fish, tadpoles, and other small, mobile prey. It is almost identical in looks and behavior but has a much smaller range. The species gets its name from the number of toes on its hind feet . Remove from pot and set aside. cornmeal, flour, onion salt, roteserrie chicken seasoning, smoked paprika, cajun spices, eggs, water, food cake mix, buttermilk, canola oil, eggs and. Cooking . Louisiana is blessed with thirty species of turtles, tortoises and terrapins. These tortoises prefer scrublands and dry prairies where the soil is easy to dig. Their shells are green to olive with yellow and black markings. Heat candy for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until melted. Mash the egg . They begin nesting in April and continue on until September. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add turtle meat and add enough boiling salted water to cover the meat. Their dark skin sports yellow to orange markings. There are 24 different types of turtles in Louisiana as well as 5 species of sea turtles that can be seen off the coastal water. I prefer working in smaller batches with chocolate and recommend doing the same and not heating all 16 ounces at once; melt additional chocolate as necessary. Olive to black skin is complemented by yellow stripes that run along the head, neck, limbs, and tail. Also known as Stinkpots due to the strong smell they can release from their musk glands, Eastern Musk turtles use this ability to protect themselves from predators. Drain, add fresh water to cover and add 1/2 teaspoon soda. Possession of firearms while taking or hunting frogs at night is prohibited. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. I ate turtle this weekend and it was awesome. Just like other subspecies, their carapace is usually olive green with contoured markings and a prominent keel. jar of stuffed green olives, drained and chopped. One species of tortoise is also native to Louisiana; the Gopher tortoise. These turtles travel thousands of miles yearly. Whenever you see items made of tortoiseshell, it most likely came from a Hawksbill Sea turtle. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. The Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin is an aquatic species that favors brackish waters along southern coasts. These Are Our Favorite Louisiana Recipes | Taste of Home A subspecies of the Eastern Box turtle, Three-toed Box turtles are a widespread species across Louisiana. Southern Painted turtles also spend a lot of time basking in the sun. Their scutes are covered with swirling contour patterns, similar to a map. They mainly eat mollusks, crayfish, small fish, and tadpoles. 10 lb. Eastern Mud turtles are omnivorous, though they eat meat more than vegetation. Their preferred habitats are open, grassy areas. Females are able to handle larger prey as they are bigger and have stronger jaws. Add cayenne, celery salt, bay leaves, and remaining teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook until tender. Eastern Musk turtles have dark, unmarked shells. Most notable are Common and Alligator Snapping turtles. Their front flippers have a single, short claw on them, while the back flippers may have up to 2 each. Mock Turtle Soup . If youre a turtle enthusiast, and you must be if you reached the end of this big list, leave us a comment. Drain the meat and reserve the turtle water. Sept. 22, 2011 -- intro:If Cooter Pie, Baked Possum and Corn Poe sounds like good eatin' to you, then you best check out this cookbook. onion, chopped, green bell pepper, seeded and chopped, stalk celery, diced, fresh minced garlic, chili powder, butter, cornstarch, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, olive oil, ground spicy italian sausage, minced onions and, olive oil, ground spicy italian sausage, minced onions, chopped garlic, fine dried bread crumbs, chopped parsley, grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, dozen large oysters , preferably, shrimp or crawfish tails, butter (no margerine) and, shrimp or crawfish tails, butter (no margerine), onions, diced, celery, diced, green bell pepper, diced (can be divided red and green or all green), diced tomatoes, drained, garlic, minced, bay leaf, flour, tomato sauce, crawfish or shrimp stock or water, sliced green onion tops, fresh parsley, chopped, salt and, cake flour, sugar (or equivalent), black walnut extract (or extract of your choice ( i used black walnut), boiling water (nuked in the microwave), firm tofu, drained and squeezed of liquid, sugar (or equivalent), pecans, toasted, finely chopped, vanilla extract, water , if necessary, to make creamier, cocoa , sifted (, cookie dough , such as refrigerated at the market and. Eastern Box turtles enjoy a wide range of foods. They are usually brown or gray, with lines running from behind their eyes and snouts. The Ouachita Map turtle is omnivorous and will eat a wide variety of fruits, berries, plants, insects, and fish. When there isnt sufficient moisture to keep these turtles hydrated, they will dig a burrow to reach humid soil.