Curried Lobster (1933)

• 1 lobster (1 to 1/2 pound size), boiled, meat cut in dice
• 1 cocoanut, grated
• 1 quart of milk
• 1 tablespoonfuls of curry powder
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 finger of fresh ginger root, chopped
• 1 small piece of garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoonfuls of flour
• 2 tablespoonfuls of butter

Grate cocoanut. Heat milk to blood heat. Pour over cocoanut, and let stand 3 or 4 hours, then strain. (Discard coconut.)  Chop onion, garlic, and ginger, and fry in butter for 15 minutes, not too brown.  Put in curry powder and some more butter, and fry for 5 minutes.  Mix 2 tablespoonfuls of butter and flour and add, letting it cook until butter melts nicely, then add strained milk and cook, stirring until it is of the consistency of custard.  

A small piece of chili pepper chopped finely (after taking out seeds) is nice if you like it hot.  Add lobster, and put into double boiler to reheat. Do not let boil again, or it will curdle.  Good served on toast, or with rice or spaghetti, cooked plainly.

(Origin - "Sunset All-Western Cook Book" by Genevieve A. Callahan, published by Stanford University Press, 1933.)