Lobster Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of lobsters in a cream and milk stock flavoured with onion, herbs and anchovies and thickened with breadcrumbs and finished with lobster forcemeat balls. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Lobster 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.
Original Recipe
195. INGREDIENTS.—3 large lobsters, or 6 small ones; the crumb of a French roll, 2 anchovies, 1 onion, 1 small bunch of sweet herbs, 1 strip of lemon-peel, 2 oz. of butter, a little nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful of flour, 1 pint of cream, 1 pint of milk; forcemeat balls, mace, salt and pepper to taste, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 2 quarts of water.
Mode.—Pick the meat from the lobsters, and beat the fins, chine, and small claws in a mortar, previously taking away the brown fin and the bag in the head. Put it in a stewpan, with the crumb of the roll, anchovies, onions, herbs, lemon-peel, and the water; simmer gently till all the goodness is extracted, and strain it off. Pound the spawn in a mortar, with the butter, nutmeg, and flour, and mix with it the cream and milk. Give one boil up, at the same time adding the tails cut in pieces. Make the forcemeat balls with the remainder of the lobster, seasoned with mace, pepper, and salt, adding a little flour, and a few bread crumbs; moisten them with the egg, heat them in the soup, and serve.
Time.—2 hours, or rather more. Average cost, 3s 6d per quart.
Seasonable from April to October.
Sufficient for 8 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
3 large lobsters (or 6 small ones)
100g breadcrumbs (preferably from a French roll)
2 anchovies (or 4 anchovy fillets)
1 onion, chopped
1 small bunch of sweet herbs
1 strip of pared lemon zest
60g butter
generous pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg
600ml cream
600ml milk
For the Lobster Forecmeat Balls:
1 tsp plain flour
ground mace, sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 egg
breadcrumbs
2l water
Method:
Crack the lobster shells and pick out the meat. Take the fins, chine and small claws and beat these to a paste in a mortar. Scrape into a stockpot along with the breadcrumbs, anchovies, onion, herbs, lemon zest and water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 40 minutes, or until all the flavour has been extracted. Strain into a bowl and discard the solids.
Pound the spawn to a paste in a mortar along with the butter, nutmeg, and flour. Mix this paste with the cream and milk then turn into a pan. Take the lobster tail meat, cut into pieces and add to the cream mix. Bring just to a boil then take off the heat.
In the meantime, chop the remaining lobster meat, combine in a bowl with the egg, flour and just enough breadcrumbs to bind. Season with the mace, sea salt and black pepper then form into meatballs. Combine the lobster stock and cream mix in a pan. Add the lobster meatballs, bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are done. Serve hot.
