By Luci
There is something so summery about coconut. Its cooling, snowy white appearance. How easily it evokes visual images of tall, icy-cold drinks in a frosted glass. Of beaches, surf rolling in, tingling our toes. Of sunshine and palm trees. And luscious sweets.
Our acquaintance with coconut is mostly with desserts - cakes, pies, cookies, pudding, etc. But there is another side to coconut - it delights us in savory preparations such as that bar staple, coconut shrimp. Even so, many such preparations include added sugars. To my mind, unnecessarily. Raw coconut is slightly sweet with a unique earthy, nutty flavor. Try it au naturel or shredded and combined with veggies, meats or tofu. Shredded coconut can be made from fresh coconuts but it is certainly easier to purchase packages of shredded coconut. The recipes below use no sugar. The point - showing off the essential, complex flavors of coconut.
Au Naturel
Crack open a coconut to snack on tasty chunks of raw coconut. The coconut flesh is smooth, soft and slightly moist, the flavor is pure coconut. The flesh has a cover of thin brown skin that adds a layer of earthiness and a satisfying firm textural contrast as you bite off a piece. With an appropriate menu, small chunks will make a distinctive appetizer.
Preparation
Start with a whole coconut. Preheat the oven to 350F. With a screwdriver, poke two holes in the eyes of the coconut. Drain the water through cheesecloth and refrigerate for a refreshing drink. Put the coconut into the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and immediately strike with a hammer. I do this in the sink or outside on a stone. The coconut will break apart into a number of chunks. Munch a chunk and enjoy! If you wish to make shredded coconut, use a vegetable peeler to take off the brown skin.
Coconut Gazpacho
A cold coconut soup seems like a good idea for a hot summer day. A Thai-style soup immediately came to mind, but no, one quite unlike that seemed a better idea. So how about a gazpacho? I had some sweet grape tomatoes, a common gazpacho ingredient that would go well with coconut. Mint would add sparkle and a cool sensation.
The result was sensational. Bite in - the mouth feel is fullness with a delicious totality of taste that quickly breaks into the flavors of the basic ingredients as they delightfully bounce around in the mouth. The husky texture adds to the sensation of satisfying fullness.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 slices day-old whole wheat bread, crusts removed
1 cup grape tomatoes
2 scallions, chopped, white parts only
3 tablespoons chopped mint
1 1/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Soak bread in water to cover for 5 minutes. Squeeze out almost all the water.
Place bread and all remaining ingredients into food processor.
Blend until smooth. Refrigerate and serve cold, topped with a sprig of mint.
Shrimp Curry
Shrimp is a most compatible companion to coconut. They deserve to bathe together in a rich, fragrant curry. Choose big, beefy shrimp to ensure juicy bites. Maximize coconutiness* with coconut oil, coconut milk and shredded coconut. Introduce a group of spices that lean toward sweetness (e.g., cinnamon, coriander) but do include a bit of bitter with garlic and cumin. Round out the gathering with a tart (taste , of course, not that other meaning) from lime. Try the leaves of the kaffir lime tree. The taste is absolutely lime, but with more fragrance and softer edge.** You can substitute regular lime.
This shrimp curry will satisfy on many levels. It will captivate your taste buds, indulge your carnivorous self, and intrigue your mind with a cascade of tastes and a perception of elegance of composition.
Serve on top of coconut rice.
*I hope you don’t mind the neologism. Why not a bit of nuttiness in a serious work?
**Available fresh at specialty Asian groceries such as Kalyustan in Chelsea (kalyustan.com) and dried - see Internet.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 large jalapeño pepper, with or without seeds (your choice)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon kaffir lime leaves in small pieces or 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
1 pound jumbo shrimp, defrosted if frozen.
Preparation
Process together the onion, garlic and jalapeño to tiny pieces
Heat coconut oil in large skillet. Add the ginger, cumin, allspice, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring often for about 3 minutes.
Lower heat, add flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat coconut milk and chicken stock to boiling. Pour into skillet and stir.
Add the lime and shredded coconut. Stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened.
Add shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Coconut Basmati Rice
Recipes for coconut rice almost always use jasmine rice. I had no jasmine rice but did have my favorite rice, basmati, and thought I’d give it a try. Success! Mild coconut flavor and lots of nuttiness.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups coconut milk
4 teaspoons coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
Salt to taste
1 cup basmati rice
Preparation
Heat coconut milk to boiling in a small saucepan.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add onion and salt. Stir. Add rice and stir occasionally until rice changes color and releases its fragrance.
Pour boiling milk over rice, stir once, cover, reduce heat to very low and cook for 17 minutes. Rest in pot, covered, for 10 minutes.
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