Almond Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of almonds and egg yolks in cooked in a meat-based stock that's finished with cream. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Almond Soup.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook. This recipe traditionally uses duck or goose giblets (at least in the original version) but also works very well with turkey giblets.
Original Recipe
110. INGREDIENTS.—4 lbs. of lean beef or veal, 1/2 a scrag of mutton, 1 oz. of vermicelli, 4 blades of mace, 6 cloves, 1/2 lb. of sweet almonds, the yolks of 6 eggs, 1 gill of thick cream, rather more than 2 quarts of water.
Mode.—Boil the beef, or veal, and the mutton, gently in water that will cover them, till the gravy is very strong, and the meat very tender; then strain off the gravy, and set it on the fire with the specified quantities of vermicelli, mace, and cloves, to 2 quarts. Let it boil till it has the flavour of the spices. Have ready the almonds, blanched and pounded very fine; the yolks of the eggs boiled hard; mixing the almonds, whilst pounding, with a little of the soup, lest the latter should grow oily. Pound them till they are a mere pulp, and keep adding to them, by degrees, a little soup until they are thoroughly mixed together. Let the soup be cool when mixing, and do it perfectly smooth. Strain it through a sieve, set it on the fire, stir frequently, and serve hot. Just before taking it up, add the cream.
Time.—3 hours. Average costper quart, 2s. 3d.
Seasonable all the year.
Sufficient for 8 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1.8kg lean beef or veal, cubed
1/2 scrag end of mutton (or lamb)
30g vermicelli
4 blades of mace
6 cloves
225g blanched almonds, ground to a powder
6 hard-boiled egg yolks
140ml double cream
2l water
Method:
Add the beef (or veal) and the mutton to a pan then pour over just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for about 80 minutes, or until the meat is very tender and the sauce is very dark and strong. Take off the heat and strain off the stock.
In a fresh pan, combine the strained stock, vermicelli, mace and cloves then stir in the 2l water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes to infuse with the flavour of the spices. Combine the almonds and egg yolks in a large mortar. Pound together then add a little of the stock and keep pounding and adding stock until you have a thick paste. Pass the paste through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Place in a bowl then strain the remaining soup liquid.
Mix with the paste in the bowl until smooth then return to the pan and allow to heat through. Stir in the cream and serve immediately.
