Coconut Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup made very frugally from the brown rind of the coconut cooked in meat stock that's thickened with rice flour and finished with cream. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Spanish Chestnut Soup.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
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 rather unusual Victorian recipe uses the dark rind of the coconut rather than the white flesh and is excellent for using-up those bits that are generally not cooked with.
Original Recipe
125. INGREDIENTS.—6 oz. of grated cocoa-nut, 6 oz. of rice flour, 1/2 a teaspoonful of mace; seasoning to taste of cayenne and salt; 1/4 of a pint of boiling cream, 3 quarts of medium stock No. 105.
Mode.—Take the dark rind from the cocoa-nut, and grate it down small on a clean grater; weigh it, and allow, for each quart of stock, 2 oz. of the cocoa-nut. Simmer it gently for 1 hour in the stock, which should then be strained closely from it, and thickened for table.
Time.—2-1/4 hours. Average cost per quart, 1s. 3d.
Seasonable in Autumn.
Sufficient for 10 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
180g grated coconut (dark rind only)
180g rice flour
1/2 tsp ground mace
sea salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
150ml cream
3l medium stock
Method:
Take the dark rind from an used coconut (it's not a problem if there is some flesh left) then grate it as finely as you can until you have 180g. Combine in a pan with the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 60 minutes then take off the heat and pass through a very fine-meshed strainer to remove he coconut pieces.
Return the liquid to a pan, add the ground mace and season to taste. Whisk together the rice flour and the cream to form a smooth slurry. Gradually whisk into the soup stock, return to a simmer and continue cooking gently for about 10 minutes, or until thickened.
Take off the heat, ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve.
