Bookbinder's Philadelphia Snapper Soup recipe

Source: Bookbinder’s Restaurant — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a traditional dish served at the famous Bookbinder's Restaurant in Philadelphia. It should be made with turtle meat, but you can substitute lean stewing beef. It will taste the same.

1 pound turtle meat or lean stewing beef
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup celery, diced
1/3 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup carrots, diced
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 quart beef stock
1/2 cup tomato pur�e
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
1/3 cup cream sherry
1/4 teaspoon whole mixed pickling spice

Place turtle or beef in stock pot with 1 1/2 quarts water. Bring to a boil. Skim during cooking. Simmer for 2 hours or until meat is tender.

Strain meat from stock. Dice meat into 1/4 inch pieces. Set both aside.

Cook vegetables in butter until onions are translucent. Add beef stock.

In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup water into paprika and flour until smooth. Add tomato pur�e and spices. Stir into beef stock until well blended. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Strain soup. Place vegetables into food processor or blender and pur�e.

Mix cornstarch with remaining water and blend until smooth. Add to soup and cook 15 minutes, stirring, until stock is thickened.

Add meat and vegetable pur�e. Remove from direct heat. Add sherry right before serving.