Name: Coconut jellies with banana and coconut-sugar caramel
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 150 gm caster sugar; 4 titanium-strength gelatine leaves, softened in cold water for 5 minutes; 750 ml homemade coconut milk (see note); Shaved flesh of 1 mature coconut (see note); 2 bananas, sliced, to serve; Coconut-sugar caramel; 150 gm coconut palm sugar, crushed (see note); 1 tbsp lime juice

These slippery jellies melt in the mouth. To achieve a pure white jelly, be sure to peel all the brown skin from the coconut flesh when making the coconut milk. You could use canned coconut milk, but the taste and texture of freshly made coconut milk are far superior. You will need 2 mature coconuts to make the coconut milk for this recipe.

Ingredients

150 gm caster sugar

4 titanium-strength gelatine leaves, softened in cold water for 5 minutes

750 ml homemade coconut milk (see note)

Shaved flesh of 1 mature coconut (see note)

2 bananas, sliced, to serve

Coconut-sugar caramel

150 gm coconut palm sugar, crushed (see note)

1 tbsp lime juice

Method

Main

1.Stir sugar, 125ml water and ½ tsp salt in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, bring to the simmer, then remove from heat. Squeeze excess water from gelatine, add to liquid and stir to dissolve. Add coconut milk, then strain into a bowl placed over a bowl of ice and stir occasionally until starting to set (20-40 minutes). Transfer to six 200ml jelly moulds and refrigerate until set (4-6 hours).

2.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C. Scatter shaved coconut over an oven tray lined with baking paper and roast until light golden, stirring occasionally (10-20 minutes), then set aside to cool.

3.For coconut-sugar caramel, stir sugar and 125ml water in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, bring to the boil, then cook until syrupy (4-6 minutes). Add lime juice and set aside to cool, then refrigerate until chilled (20-30 minutes).

4.Dip jelly moulds briefly in hot water, then invert jellies onto plates. Scatter with roast coconut, drizzle with coconut-sugar caramel to taste and serve with sliced banana.

Note Coconut palm sugar is available from Asian grocers.

To make coconut milk, Thai food authority David Thompson suggests processing the flesh in a food processor or blender until finely chopped. Gradually add 350ml hot (not boiling) water for every coconut and process to combine, then transfer to a bowl and work with your hands to extract as much flavour as possible (3-5 minutes). Strain the liquid through a muslin-lined sieve into a bowl and squeeze to extract all liquid (discard solids). One coconut processed with 350ml water yields about 350ml coconut milk. If a recipe calls for slightly more coconut milk than you’ve made, you can top it up with water. It can be used as full-fat milk or the coconut cream can be separated from it.

Mature coconuts are sold with the outer shell and outer husk removed; the inner husk is brown and hairy. They contain a small amount of liquid and a crunchy white flesh used for making coconut milk and cream. Mature coconuts are available from supermarkets and Asian grocers. To open a mature coconut, pierce two of the eyes (we used a screwdriver) and drain the liquid. Tap firmly around the circumference with the back of a large knife, rotating the coconut with each tap until the shell cracks open. If the coconut smells fermented or the flesh isn’t pure white, it’s a bad nut.
Drink Suggestion: Homemade lemonade. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes

Recipe / styling by Lisa Featherby

Styling by Alice Storey

Ingredients

Method

Main

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