Cocoanut Soup
A delicate, creamy Anglo-Indian soup made by extracting the essence of fresh coconut into stock, blending it with hot milk, and seasoning with nutmeg. A comforting, mild soup thickened with rice flour.
Ingredients
- 225 grams Fresh coconut meat, grated (Approximately 1/2 lb or 1 medium coconut)
- 500 ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock (Enough to cover the coconut for boiling)
- 1.5 liters Whole Milk (Original calls for 3 pints)
- 0.5 whole nutmeg Nutmeg, freshly grated (Approx 1 tsp)
- 1 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
- 0.5 tsp White Pepper (Adjust to taste)
- 2 tbsp Ground Rice (Rice Flour) (For thickening)
- 100 ml Heavy Cream (Optional improvement)
- 4 slices Bread slices (For serving)
- 2 tbsp Butter (For frying bread)
Instructions
- 1Break open the coconut and grate the white meat until you have approximately 225g (1/2 lb).
- 2Place the grated coconut in a pot and add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for about one hour to extract the flavor.
- 3Strain the liquid into a clean bowl or pot. Press and squeeze the coconut solids firmly against the sieve or through a cheesecloth to extract all the liquid and goodness. Discard the dry solids.
- 4Return the strained coconut stock to the pot. Add salt, pepper, and the grated nutmeg.
- 5In a separate saucepan, bring the milk to a gentle boil. Watch carefully to ensure it does not boil over.
- 6Pour the hot milk into the seasoned coconut stock. Mix the ground rice (rice flour) with a small splash of cold water or milk to create a smooth slurry, then stir this into the soup. Simmer gently for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 7Stir in the cream (if using). Cut bread into cubes and fry in butter until golden or toast them. Serve the soup hot with the fried bread/croutons.