Fresh coconut is easy to come by these days, not to mention cheap, yet Iam willing to bet that most people will never even pick one up in the shops. We glossover fresh coconut in the fruit and veg section inmuch the same way as one skims over the baby food or pet accessories ifone has no interest in either of those departments. Even so, there must be a market out there for this most versatile and intensely delicious of ingredients, since home cooks use tinned coconut milk in Thai curries or sprinkle desiccated coconut into their cake batters and meringues.
All of which leads me to the conclusion that it's all about the shell – if only there were agadget that could cut a neat, perfect circle around the top and so open it without fuss or mess… Admittedly, it can be a bit of a challenge to crack open a coconut, but it's well worth the effort. And there are many ways to do so – it's just a case of finding the one that suits you. Hold the coconut in one hand over a bowl and bash it with the blunt side of a heavy cleaver. Or prick one of the three "eyes" on the nut (there's always one that's softer) with a screwdriver or skewer, drain and save the liquid within, then place the nut on a hard surface (I favour the kitchen floor) and give it a whack or three with ahammer; that said, some people use a heavy chisel for a more localised hit, while others put the nut in a hot oven for 15 minutes after draining, to get it to crack.
Whichever method you choose, the nut will crack open (eventually) and all you need do then is separate the flesh from the pieces of shell using a screwdriver or a blunt knife.
And what's inside is beautifully soothing, whether you use it as asupporting act to chicken cooked Caribbean-style, or as a snowy sprinkling on an Asian-influenced green bean salad, because the tropical drowsiness of coconut flesh – meaty, yet milky and nutty – mellows spicy, sharp ingredients and brings them together in harmony.
Finally, a tip: a good fresh coconut should feel heavy and contain enough liquid to slosh audibly. Once cracked, taste the water – it should be sweet and fresh. If it tastes a bit bitter or off, you need to grab a fresh coconut and start all over again.
Jerk-spiced chicken with fresh coconut salsa
You can make the chicken only or the salsa by itself (both are delicious on their own), but the coconut and cucumber make the most wonderful fresh counterpoint to the rich and sweet spiciness of the jerk mix. Serves four.
1½ tbsp cayenne pepper
1½ tbsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1½ tsp mixed spice
¾ tsp ground allspice
60g brown sugar
3 tbsp honey
1½ fresh green jalapeño chillies, chopped (or any fresh green chilli)
1 red bird's-eye chilli, chopped
1 large red onion, peeled and chopped
4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
Salt and black pepper
8 large boned chicken thighs, skin on
For the coconut salsa
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp palm sugar
20g ginger, peeled and julienned
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 small cucumber (or ⅓ normal cucumber), shaved into very thin 4cm x 2cm strips (I use a vegetable peeler to achieve this effect)
75g coarsely grated fresh coconut (ie, from around ½ coconut)
10g chopped coriander
½ green chilli, finely chopped
Put all the ground spices in a frying pan and dry-fry on medium heat fortwo to three minutes, stirring occasionally, until you can smell thearoma. Transfer to a small food processor bowl, add the sugar, honey, both chillies, onions and ateaspoon and a half of salt, and blitz to form a smooth paste.
In a large mixing bowl, rub the chicken thighs with half a teaspoon ofsalt and a grind of black pepper. Add all the marinade to the bowl and use your hands to massage it into the chicken. Cover and transfer to the fridge for at least an hour.
For the salsa, put the lime juice and palm sugar into a small pan, place on a medium heat and simmer for a minute or two, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Add the ginger, oil and half a teaspoon of salt, stir and set aside. Once cool, put the cucumber and coconut in abowl, pour on the dressing, add the coriander and chilli, and stir.
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Place a ridged griddle pan onhigh heat for a few minutes. When very hot, lower the temperature to medium-high, lay the chicken in the pan and char-grill for six minutes, turning once. Transfer to a baking tray and roast for eight to 12 minutes, until cooked through (if the spice mix starts to burn on the griddle, remove from the pan earlier and give the chicken longer to finish off in the oven). Leave to rest for three minutes andserve with the relish alongside.
Sprouting broccoli and edamame salad with curry leaves and lime (V)
This stunning salad works just as well without the coconut – it's your call – though I must point out that the chewy texture of the freshly grated flakes contrasts brilliantly with the more yielding beans. Please try to get hold of freshcurry leaves for this, and use freeze-dried only if you have no other choice. Serves four.
400g purple sprouting broccoli, washed and trimmed
220g french beans, trimmed
Salt
200g frozen podded edamame beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
2½ tsp black mustard seeds
30 fresh curry leaves (or 40, if using freeze-dried)
3 whole dried chillies (or fewer, depending on how hot they are)
Shaved skin of 1 lime, plus 1 tbsp lime juice
5g picked coriander leaves
35g coarsely grated fresh coconut (optional)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli, french beans and some salt, and blanch for three to five minutes, until cooked but still with some bite. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to acolander and run under cold water. Drain, pat dry, transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Return the pan of water to the boil, add the edamame beans and blanch for two minutes. Transfer to the colander, run under cold water, pat dry and add to the broccoli and french beans. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt over the vegetables, stir and set aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan on amedium-high heat. Add the onion, along with a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and cook for about four minutes, until soft. Add the black mustard seeds and, when they begin to pop, the curry leaves, chillies and lime skin. Fry for two minutes more, then tip over the vegetables, stir again and set aside for 10 minutes.
Just before serving, add the lime juice, coriander and coconut, if using. Give everything a very gentlestir and serve.
