Making Your Own Coconut Milk

Despite what you may think, coconut milk doesn't come from a can, it comes from coconuts. That sounds self-evident, but how many people do you know who make their own coconut milk? You can add me to that list and, after today, yourself as well.

To start, you're going to need a coconut. Go ahead and husk it. I'll wait right here until you're ready.

Okay, now you have a husked coconut. Crack it open and save the liquid. This liquid is not the milk, but can be chilled as a drink, without or without the rum of your choice and a pineapple wedge. It can even be chilled with rum and pineapple while you make coconut milk. Just saying.

Using a strong spoon, scoop out the coconut meat. Why a strong spoon? Because I have a drawer full of spoons bent into the shape of rainbows and they don't stack as well. It stinks. If the meat is quite firm--firmer than your strongest spoons--try carving it out with a paring knife.

Finely grate the coconut meat into a bowl and add boiling water to barely cover. Let it sit until the temp drops to the point where you can stand to hold your (washed) finger in it. Line a colander with 2-3 layers of cheesecloth and set over a large bowl. Pour the coconut slurry into the colander. Pick up the corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze hard to get as much milk out as possible; really wring that sucker. Get every drop. This is now coconut milk. If you let it sit for a few hours it will gradually separate into a thick later of coconut cream on top and milk on the bottom. I prefer the richness of leaving them mixed.

To sum up: crack, scoop, grate, soak and squeeze. Not hard at all, and fresh coconut milk tastes a hundred times better than anything out of a can.

Coconut milk will retain its freshness for only a few days in the refrigerator. You can freeze it up to a few weeks, but this too robs it of vitality. The best bet is to cook with it right away:

→ Chicken Luau - a Hawaiian standard
→ Thai Green Chicken Curry - spicy/savory/sweet
→ Haupia - think coconut jello
→ Lychee Sorbet in Coconut Macadamia Tuiles with Papaya Coulis - pretentious name, tasty sorbet
→ Orange Mango Sorbet - yes, I like sorbets
→ Sweet Potato and Haupia Pie - a crowd-pleaser
→ Chocolate Curry Cupcakes with Lemongrass Infused Coconut Buttercream Frosting - an original recipe by yours truly!

There is still time to enter your name in my raffle to win the new cookbook by Iron Chef Morimoto. Do it, you won't regret it!