Turtle meat is rare gourmet fare with a flavor similar to veal. Fresh turtle meat can be found occasionally in the eastern half of the United States, especially around Key West, Florida, where turtles are caught commercially. Canned and frozen meat or steaks are sold in some markets. Canned soup is the most common turtle product available on the market shelves.
Live turtle is prepared for cooking in the following manner:
- The head is cut off
- With a sharp knife, cut the skin where it joins the shell, pull the skin over the legs to the feet, and cut off the feet
- Cut through the joint between top and bottom shell
- Insert the knife under the lower shell and lift off, remove the entrails
- Remove meat from upper shell in quarters
- Steaks may be pounded, browned, and then simmered in a sauce. Or the meat may be chopped and used in a sauce, soup, or stew.
The fins and eggs are eaten as well as the flesh. The fins are simmered in water to tenderize them. Then, they are dipped in a batter, browned, and cooked in a rish sauce. When the eggs are boiled, the yolks harden but the whites don't. to eat turtle eggs, the tops of the shells are briken off, the whites and yolks are flavored with butter, salt, and pepper, and then the contents are eaten. They are exotic to serve at lunch or supper.
Three and one half ounces of raw turtle meat has 90 calories, while canned meat has about 105 calories.
