Martin Yan - PREPARING FRESH COCONUT CREAM

PREPARING FRESH COCONUT CREAM

Pierce the eyes of the coconut and drain the water into a bowl. The coconut water should taste sweet. Blend it into refreshing tropical drinks or drink as is. Discard the water and the coconut if the water tastes sour or has a foul odor.

Hold the coconut in one hand with the eyes facing up. Firmly hit the coconut about an inch below the eyes with a hammer. Rotate the coconut and continue hitting until it cracks open. Break it into smaller pieces. Separate the shell from the tender white meat and discard.

Cut the meat into smaller pieces and finely chop in a food processor. Add a cup of hot water and blend well. Place the coconut mixture in a fine sieve and firmly press to obtain the thick, creamy, rich coconut cream. Return the grated coconut mixture to the food processor and add another cup of hot water. Process again until well blended. Place the sieve over another bowl and firmly press the mixture to remove the thinner coconut milk. You can repeat this process several times, but after each pressing, the milk will become thinner and more diluted.

Transfer the cream and milk to tightly sealed containers and refrigerate immediately. Both liquids are best used the day they are made but can be refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for up to several weeks.