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Food in focus |  |
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Coconut
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Not all places, people and things have songs written especially for them; only those who really deserve that level of glorification get odes composed about their wonders and significance. And this is exactly why Zazu the bird sings the abovementioned Danny Kaye song in The Lion King. Coconuts deserve praise.
When it comes to cooking, coconuts can be used in two different stages of ripeness. In tropical Asia and Africa, where they are predominantly cultivated, the nuts are often sold green and immature, while the meat still has a jelly-like texture and the liquid is clear. The West, however, prefers the nuts fully ripened, with brown skins and solid, white meat surrounding the milky liquid.
But how do you know whether the inside is ripe, especially if the nut is still covered in its shaggy coat. It's simple the nut should feel heavy and if you hear a splashing sound while shaking it, it's ripe. Stale nuts, on the other hand, contain very little liquid so won't splash at all.
But don't mistake the liquid inside the nut for coconut milk, this is in fact referred to as coconut 'juice' or 'water', and is an excellent thirst-quencher. Coconut milk is the extract of freshly grated coconut flesh that has been soaked in hot water, then strained. You can make your own coconut milk as follows: add a liquid (hot water or milk) to some grated coconut (the ratio is one part coconut to one part liquid) and leave it over low heat for 30 minutes. Strain the milk through a piece of muslin cloth, gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze it tightly in your fist to extract the last bit of liquid from the nuts. This milk is ideal for flavouring stews, sauces, creams, ice creams and summer drinks such as Pina Colada, but of course also in a myriad of Thai and Indian dishes where coconut milk would be used as the base of the sauce. So what is Coconut cream It's basically the same, except it's made (in the same way as described above) either by using one part liquid to four parts coconut. But you could also make it by boiling the coconut mixture until it's really thick and creamy. Of course, both coconut milk and cream are available in cans from most supermarkets.
Coconut milk could well be serve as a substitute for cow's milk in cooking. But vegetable milks made from oil-rich nuts are rich in (unhealthy) saturated fat, which may cause high cholesterol. But it's not all bad: coconut is a useful source of fibre in the diet and because it's easily digestible, it's a good source of fat for people with digestive disorders and who cannot absorb fat into the body.
Getting all the useful bits out of a coconut can be quite tricky, unless you have the right tools for the job (and we really mean "tools"). First, drain the milk by piercing the three soft spots or "eyes" at the stalk end of the coconut with a screwdriver, and shake out the liquid. The nut can now safely and easily be cracked open by tapping it with a hammer, while slowly turning it around, there's a "natural fault line" about one third down from the eyes. Keep on tapping and turning until the nut splits open on this line. The white meat can then be lifted out with a knife.
Coconuts are wonderfully rich in flavour and add an exotic, tropical taste to almost any dish. You can grate coconut meat as a topping over curries, or add it to biscuit, cake or pudding batters for added richness and texture.
An unopened coconut will last up to four months in the pantry, while freezing it whole will extend its life up to nine months. But once opened, it should be refrigerated and used within a week or it will turn rancid (thanks to the substantial amount of oil it contains). Fresh coconuts are available almost year round, although the best ones become available towards the end of December.
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What to do with your lovely bunch... |  |
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Tip of the day | |
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No dirty milk!
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