The turtle, also known as the softshell turtle, is a freshwater organism similar in appearance to the tortoise. Turtles are rich in nutrients and have powerful nourishing effects, and are often used in various health-preserving soups. Moreover, the turtle’s bones have certain medicinal effects, showing that its health-preserving effects are very remarkable. Let’s take a look at the cooking methods of turtles below.

Before cooking the turtle, there is an important step to take: you must clean the sand skin on the turtle’s body! The turtle, having been digging in sand and soil for many years, will develop a thick skin that is inedible and must be peeled off clean.

(1)

Turn the turtle over, with the back facing the ground and the belly facing up. When it struggles to flip over and extend its neck to its fullest, quickly chop at the base of the neck with a sharp knife, then lift it to drain the blood. Next, place the slaughtered turtle in water heated to about 70~80 degrees, and blanch it in the hot water for 2~5 minutes (the specific time and temperature should be controlled according to the age and season of the turtle) and then remove it.

(2)

After it cools down (those who can’t wait can soak it in cold water to cool down), use scissors or a sharp knife to make a cross-cut on the abdomen of the turtle, remove the internal organs, cut off the limbs and the tail tip, and make sure to remove the butter on the leg edge.

(3)

Also, gently scrape off the black, dirty skin all over the turtle’s body. Be careful not to scratch or remove the skirt edge (also known as the wing edge, located around the turtle, which is the most flavorful part of the turtle’s body). After scraping off the black skin, wash it clean. That’s about the basic cleaning done.

(4)

After the turtle is processed, place it in a bowl, lay out the sliced ham, add mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and scallions, and finally add cooking wine.

(5)

Then it’s time to simmer, depending on the size of the turtle, about an hour is enough for the smaller ones, and an additional 60 minutes for the larger ones.