Fresh Unsweetened Coconut Cream and Milk

Submitted by Jostlori

"This is really a technique, more that a recipe. Found in Cracking the Coconut, an award-winning cookbook by Su-Mei Yu and owner of my favorite Thai restaurant in San Diego. Yield is a guess because it depends on the size coconut that you use. TIme is a guess because it probably takes longer the first time. Have fun!!! You'll never use the canned stuff again!"

 

• Ready In: 15mins
• Ingredients: 2
• Yields: 1 1/4 cups

ingredients

• 1 coconut, flesh removed from shell
• 1 cup water, warmed

directions

1. Remove flesh from shell of coconut (drink the water, its good for you!), then peel the dark skins off the chuncks of white meat.
2. Cut the meat into 1 to 2 inch chunks and place them in a HEAVY DUTY food processor fitted with a steel blade.
3. Grind for 30 to 60 seconds. Pause to scrape down th sides of the processor bowl; then pulse and blend until the meat turns to pulp.
4. Add the cup of warm water and process for 30 seconds. Then transfer the pulp and liquid to a large mixing bowl with a pour spout.
5. "Milk" the coconut by massaging and squeezing the meat at least 89 times (yes, not 88 and not 90!). According to Su-Mei, this is a Thai ritual believed to produce a rich and creamy coconut milk.
6. HOW TO CRACK A COCONUT: Choose a good coconut, one that feels heavy for its size. Shake it and listen for sloshing. The "eyes" on top should be uniform dark brown. To crack, place a Phillips screwdriver in one of the three eyes and hit it with a hammer to punch a hole. Repeat on another eye. Drain off the liquid and drink. Put the coconut on center rack of 375F oven, bake for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature Lay on a hard cement surface, strike a few good blows with a hammer until cracked. Break into four or five manageable pieces, and holding a piece with a dish towel, remove the meat from the shell with a flat head screwdriver. It should come off easily. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the hard dark rind.