Prawn Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of prawn puree in fish stock flavoured with anchovy sauce and vinegar that's thickened with breadcrumbs. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Prawn 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
198. INGREDIENTS.—2 quarts of fish stock or water, 2 pints of prawns, the crumbs of a French roll, anchovy sauce or mushroom ketchup to taste, 1 blade of mace, 1 pint of vinegar, a little lemon-juice.
Mode.—Pick out the tails of the prawns, put the bodies in a stewpan with 1 blade of mace, 1/2 pint of vinegar, and the same quantity of water; stew them for 1/4 hour, and strain off the liquor. Put the fish stock or water into a stewpan; add the strained liquor, pound the prawns with the crumb of a roll moistened with a little of the soup, rub them through a tammy, and mix them by degrees with the soup; add ketchup or anchovy sauce to taste, with a little lemon-juice. When it is well cooked, put in a few picked prawns; let them get thoroughly hot, and serve. If not thick enough, put in a little butter and flour.
Time.—hour. Average cost, 1s. 1d. per quart, if made with water.
Seasonable at any time. Sufficient for 8 persons.
Note.—This can be thickened with tomatoes, and vermicelli served in it, which makes it a very tasteful soup.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2l fish stock (or water)
450g prawns
50g prawns, peeled
100g breadcrumbs (preferably from a French roll) Anchovy Sauce, or mushroom catsup, to taste
1 blade of mace
600ml vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method:
Peel the 450g prawns then add the bodies to a stockpot with the mace, 300ml of the vinegar and 300ml of the stock (or water). Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Strain off and reserve the cooking liquid then transfer the prawns to a large mortar (or blender). Moisten with a little stock then pound or process until smooth. Press the resultant mixture through a fine-meshed sieve.
Place the stock in a pan (top with the remaining 1.7l stock or water), bring to a simmer then whisk in the prawn purêe a little at a time. Add the remaining vinegar along with anchovy sauce, or mushroom catsup, to taste. Stir in the lemon juice then return to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
Stir in the remaining peeled prawns and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until heated through (if the soup is not thick enough for your liking stir in a little flour blended with butter. Ladle into warmed soup bowls and serve.
