Preparation Method
- Pierce the coconut’s “eyes” with a screwdriver and pour the coconut water into a small bowl. Place the coconut on a cutting board and use a hammer to crack around the equator of the coconut until the shell separates and you can crack it open. Peel off the shell and remove the brown “skin” using a vegetable peeler or paring knife. Use a food processor to grate the coconut; you should have about 2 ½ cups.
- Place the coconut flesh in the blender, followed by the water. Select MANUAL/SPEED 3 and pulse a few times to chop the coconut, then blend for 2 minutes, gradually increasing the speed to SPEED 10.
- Strain the coconut purée through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a fine-mesh nut milk bag (a flour sack towel works too) set over a large bowl. Wring out the cloth to extract as much liquid as possible (discard the solids). Transfer to an airtight container or glass jar and chill before serving (the coconut milk will keep fresh for up to 5 days.)
Variation: Coconut Kulfi (Indian-style Ice Cream)
Place 1 cup coconut milk in the blender, followed by 1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon vodka, ½ teaspoon finely grated lime zest, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, and a pinch of salt. Select MANUAL/LO and blend, gradually increasing the speed to speed 8, until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (40°F or colder). Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or pour into a 9-by-13 inch baking dish and freeze until it starts to crystallize, 30 to 60 minutes. Use a fork to break up the mixture, making sure to get into the corners of the pan. Return to the freezer and repeat every 30 minutes until the mixture is completely icy and frozen, about 3 hours. Fluff with a fork one last time and freeze 30 minutes longer. Divide into bowls, sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios or almonds, and serve.
