Halibut with Chili, Ginger and Coconut

April 2012

Coconut Milk

You’ve probably noticed the growing space given to milk alternatives in the supermarket. Hemp, oat, rice and nut milks abound. These products all give a boost to meal planning, if only because they add variety. But the big benefit is that they provide valuable alternatives to those who are vegan, allergic to milk, lactose-intolerant or otherwise unable to digest dairy. In addition, they’re a boon to those who are kosher and do not mix meat and dairy products.

Coconut milk, which is dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free and nut-free (the coconut is actually a fruit despite its name), is especially popular now. This seems counterintuitive to those of us who shunned coconut products for years because they were thought to be too high in heart-unhealthy saturated fat. But recent studies have suggested that coconut milk may actually be nutritionally advantageous. Although it has a high fat content, the fat is made up mostly of “medium chain fatty acids” (MCFAs), which are more quickly metabolized by the liver than “long chain fatty acids,” which are more likely to create fat deposits in your body. Some studies suggest that eating foods rich in MCFAs helps burn more calories. Other studies have shown that lauric acid, the principle fatty acid in coconut milk, has anti-microbial properties that can help boost the immune system.

More to its gastronomic virtues though, coconut milk is rich and creamy with a fresh, delicate flavor, and it is exceptionally useful. Depending on what kind you buy, you can sip it as a drink or pour it over cereal, as you would use milk, or use it to make a smoothie or for ice cream, yogurt or pudding, or as a substitute for cream and other dairy products in soups, sauces and baked goods.

Coconut milk is not the liquid that comes out of a fresh coconut when you crack it open – that’s coconut water. The milk is thicker, whiter and more suitable for cooking. It comes canned, packaged and in refrigerator cartons.

Canned coconut milk is viscous and when you open the can you might find the heavier, fatter “cream” has risen to the top. If so, mix the contents except for recipes that call for coconut cream (scoop the top). Refrigerate any unused portions. Lite coconut milk has a higher water-to-coconut ratio than regular coconut milk and isn’t as satisfactory for thick, rich soups and sauces, but is just fine for other recipes, particularly baked items such as quick breads and muffins.

Most brands contain guar gum, added as a stabilizer, and some contain other additives. Several brands are kosher, but not kosher for Passover, which means that for use during the holiday, which begins this year at sundown on April 6th, coconut milk must be made at home, which is easy and takes just a few minutes. Here’s how: simmer equal amounts of grated fresh or packaged, shredded coconut and water for about 10 minutes, then press the ingredients through a strainer to extract as much liquid as possible, or, process equal quantities of the shredded coconut and boiling water in a blender or food processor, let the mixture rest for 10-15, then strain.

Shelf-packaged coconut milk is like most other such products, useful because of convenience, but not as fresh tasting. The milk in the refrigerator-case cartons contains more water and is thinner than the canned kind and lacks its intense coconut flavor. It has a delicate taste, more like regular dairy milk (it comes both plain and vanilla flavored), and is both refreshing and quenching, so it’s most useful for drinking, dunking cookies, pouring over cereal, for coffee and the like. It’s also fine for baked goods and pudding.

There’s powdered coconut milk too, much like powdered milk that must be reconstituted with water, and canned Cream of Coconut, which has added sweetener and is used primarily for mixed cocktails and some desserts.

Coconut milk is a staple in Thai, Indian and other Asian cuisines to balance fiery curries and spicy ingredients such as chili peppers. Similarly, it tames the heat in the recipes for Carrot Soup with Coconut and for Halibut with Chili, Ginger and Coconut. But coconut milk also adds a lush, vaguely sweet quality to mild foods such as chicken, winter squash, spinach and dried fruit, as it does in the recipe for Baked Chicken with Dried Fruit and Coconut. All three of these recipes are festive and appropriate during Passover and year round.