Mock Turtle Soup

Ingredients

For 6 servings

• •1 lb (454 g) 80% lean ground beef
• •7 tasse (1.65L) water, divided
• •1 medium lemon (about 120 g)
• •1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces; 226 g), roughly chopped
• •3 stalks celery (5 ounces; 150 g), roughly chopped
• •2 c. à café Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt,1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• •1 c. à soupe (6 g) pickling spice, tied in cheesecloth
• •1 (12-ounce; 340 g) bottle chili sauce, such as Heinz or Red Gold
• •2 c. à soupe (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• •1 /4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
• •1 /4 cup (60 ml) dry sherry
• •2 hard-boiled eggs, finely diced, for serving
• •Oyster crackers and hot sauce, for serving

Method

1. 1.Combine ground beef and 4 cups (950 ml) cold water in a large 6-quart pot or Dutch oven. Using a stiff whisk or potato masher, stir vigorously to make a slurry (the meat mixture should be uniform).
2. 2.Halve the lemon. Seed one half, roughly chop it (with pith) and place it in a blender with onion, celery, and remaining 3 cups (715 ml) water. (Reserve other lemon half for later.) Blend until puréed, 30 to 60 seconds. To the pot with the ground beef, add blended, salt, black pepper, pickling spice bundle, chili sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Fill the chili sauce bottle about 2/3 of the way with water, shake it up, and pour that water into the pot. Mix well.
3. 3.Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low or low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and mixture is slightly reduced, about 1 hour.
4. 4.For the Browned Flour: While soup simmers, brown flour on the stovetop (preferred) or, if necessary, in the microwave. On the stovetop: In a dry skillet, heat flour over medium. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour is deeply browned (somewhere between peanut butter and milk chocolate) and smells toasty and nutty, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and allow to cool slightly. In the microwave: On a wide microwave-safe dish, spread flour in a thin, even layer. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir thoroughly. Microwave for 1 more minute, then stir again. Continue in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until flour is medium brown and nutty, usually 3 1/2–5 minutes total depending on microwave strength. Be careful not to let the flour scorch.
5. 5.Ladle about 2 cups of the hot soup from above steps into a medium heatproof bowl. Whisk browned flour into the bowl with liquid until completely smooth and free of lumps. Pour mixture back into the soup pot while stirring constantly.
6. 6.Simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup is reduced by about ⅓ from the beginning, 20 to 30 more minutes. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in sherry and juice of reserved lemon half.
7. 7.Remove pickling spice bundle. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Thin with additional water, if desired. Ladle into bowls and top with diced hard-boiled egg just before serving.