Rich Coconut Milk

 

Thom Hackett

Shelia Lukins

Servings:  6

 

Coconut Milk

 

Coconut milk is an essential ingredient in both Thai and Indonesian dishes, and as these foods become more popular in America, coconut milk will become more widely available.  Currently it can be found canned in many Asian markets or specialty food stores, but it's also quite simple to prepare at home.  It will keep nicely in the refrigerator for a week.

 

2 cups milk
1 cup unsweetened dried coconut

Bring the milk to a boil in a small heavy saucepan. 

  1. Remove from the heat, add the coconut, and stir well to combine. 

  2. Cover and set aside for 2 hours to steep.

Place the milk and coconut mixture in a food processor and process for 2 minutes.

  1. Strain the mixture through a double layer of cheesecloth into a bowl and squeeze the coconut well to extract all moisture. 

  2. Reserve the strained liquid and discard the coconut.

Use at once or refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.