Nikki Duffy
LATIN NAME
Cocos nucifera
SEASONALITY
Imported all year round
MORE RECIPES
Velvet crab curry; Curried clams; Fragrant beef curry; Spinach, egg and potato curry; Mango and banana salad; Lime and coconut mousse; Linseed, banana and chocolate muffins; Passionfruit and coconut curd; Piña colada
SOURCING
biona.co.uk; cocozumi.com; tiana-coconut.com
Until quite recently, coconut was an exotic item, known to most of us only as the basis for piña coladas and a certain confectionery bar. If you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d be waxing lyrical about this imported food, I might have looked doubtful, but coconut is fast becoming one of the hardest working ingredients in the British cook’s larder.
Dry scatterings of desiccated coconut flesh are how most of my generation first encountered this giant palm tree seed, but they are probably its least interesting manifestation, as the distinct aroma of fresh coconut flesh is largely lost by the time it has been grated and dried. The creamy white coconut flesh from a whole nut is far superior, though dried coconut is still useful in cakes, lending an interesting texture.
Both crisp and succulent, owing to its oil-rich nature, the flesh of a freshly cracked nut tastes much more toastily coconutty and delicious than anything in a packet. Thinly sliced, that white flesh is fantastic in salads, sweet or savoury, or in a sambal to serve with curries (see next recipe). And shavings of roasted coconut, scattered with a little salt, are about as good as snacking gets.
Coconut milk is even more useful than the flesh – and certainly a little easier to access, since it comes in a tin. This creamy white liquid (not to be confused with clear coconut ‘water’) is made by adding water to shredded coconut flesh then pressing it. Coconut milk often separates in the tin, forming a thick, or even solid, layer on top and a watery one beneath. A vigorous shake before you open the tin may be enough to resolve this or, if the top layer is solid, scrape the lot into a pan and heat it gently, stirring until recombined.
Coconut milk has a definite but mild coconut flavour that forms a pleasing background in all kinds of dishes – from curries to cakes to cocktails. It’s rich, though, (comprising, in part, emulsified coconut oil) so I nearly always temper it with another, lighter liquid such as water or stock. The perfect foil to fiery spices, it has a long tradition of use in curries and laksas but it’s also good in humbler dishes – add some to a blenderful of leftover cooked veg, with stock and a pinch of cumin or coriander, and you have a fantastic, impromptu soup. It’s a great medium for cooking fish and shellfish too.
At the sweet end of the spectrum, a chilled coconut rice pudding – made with half coconut milk, half dairy milk (or water) – is delicious. I also like a dash of coconut milk in tropical smoothies with fresh mango, lychees, melon, etc.
Do not be concerned if your coconut milk appears slightly grainy when cooked, or separates, forming a layer of oil on the surface. Both these are normal characteristics of the ingredient. You can stir the oil back in, or skim it off.
Tinned ‘coconut cream’, is a thicker, more coconut-rich version of coconut milk, while ‘creamed coconut’ is a little different: a solid block of pure, milled coconut that requires grating or dissolving, it can be mixed with hot water to replace coconut milk.
There is a plethora of other coconut products appearing on the shelves of health food shops and even supermarkets. Perhaps the most salient is creamy white, ‘virgin’ (unrefined) coconut oil (solid at room temperature), a fat with close to miraculous properties according to its fans. To sum up its merits in a (coco)nut shell: it is rich in lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that is both absorbed and burnt off more quickly than most other culinary fats. There are studies that have shown lauric acid to have anti-microbial properties too and claims are made for it as a treatment for everything from acne to Alzheimer’s. It’s worth noting that there is also scepticism about these claims and the scientific debate about the merits of this product is ongoing.
Virgin coconut oil can be very useful in the kitchen: it is stable when heated up to its smoke point of around 177°C (similar to butter) and resistant to oxidisation. In the right context – spicy curries, for example – it imparts a subtle coconutty background flavour. It can also be used instead of butter in cakes and cookies. Although I prefer to use a completely unprocessed coconut oil, you can get steam-treated neutral-flavoured oils.
A noteworthy new storecupboard standby is coconut sugar (or nectar). Dark and with a caramel flavour, it is useful for baking and as a lower-GI alternative to standard sugar. Another is coconut flour, made from ground, dried coconut flesh. High in fibre and protein, it soaks up liquid like a sponge, but combined with lighter flours and/or binding and leavening ingredients such as eggs, it lends a nutty flavour in baking.
Tackling a fresh coconut
A coconut should feel heavy and emit sloshing sounds when shaken. To get at its flesh, first pierce two of the ‘eyes’ on top of the nut with a screwdriver and drain out the liquid (this is coconut water, which you can drink). Then hold the coconut in one hand and use the back of a large, heavy knife to tap the shell firmly, working round the ‘equator’, until it splits open (it will eventually). Bake the coconut halves at 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6 for about 20 minutes then leave to cool, before prising the flesh away from the shell with a knife.
How green is your coconut?
It is possible that the boom in demand for coconut products could be cause for ecological concern. After all, coconuts grow in some of the same tropical regions as oil palms – a crop whose cultivation is wreaking environmental havoc.
On the plus side, in many of the regions where we source coconut products, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India, coconut palms are already ubiquitous and, because they can cling to poor, sandy soils, often grow where little else will. Many coconuts are still grown by small producers, but there is also evidence that mono-culture plantations of coconut, which are increasingly the way our demand for coconut is met, may not be sustainable as they deplete nutrients in the soil.
Choosing organic and fairly traded products is one way to tackle these concerns. CocoZumi coconut oil, which is sourced from a diverse agroforestry environment (i.e. the coconut palms grow alongside other plants and trees) is a good option.
COCONUT, SPINACH AND APPLE SAMBAL
A sambal is a chilli-hot relish found in the cooking of Sri Lanka, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. This simple, refreshing example makes a great accompaniment to veg curry or grilled fish. Serves 4
100g fresh coconut flesh
50g baby spinach leaves, young kale or spring greens
1 medium-sized, hot, red or green chilli, finely chopped (seeds and all)
Juice of 1 lime
1 medium, crisp eating apple, such as Cox
Sea salt and black pepper
Grate the coconut on a medium grater. Remove any coarse stalks from the greens, then roll the leaves into tight, cigar-like wads and slice into very fine ribbons. Combine the coconut, greens and chilli.
Squeeze the lime juice into a bowl. Quarter, core and finely chop the apple, tossing it straight into the juice, so it doesn’t discolour. Combine the juicy apple with the coconut mix and add some salt and pepper. Leave for about 15 minutes for the flavours to mingle, then toss again and serve.
