Cook my Coconuts!

May 22, 2010 8:28 PM

How to make an island "Lost" coconut appetizer.

I'm wondering if there's a recipe to roast a whole coconut, like you would an acorn squash, rubbing the insides with something and roasting it and then serving it?

I'm attempting to have some island appetizers for a Lost party, and want to serve coconut in huge jungle chunks. I'm open to any suggestions. I can't find a recipe that is solely coconut based. (I realize it may be just a disgusting way to eat coconut, so please let me know if I should just give up).

posted by Unred to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

In lieu of plain coconut, how about scooping the insides out and filling them with coconut ice cream or sorbet? Would be super tasty and have the same effect. You could use the inside of the coconut to make pina coladas as well.
posted by youcancallmeal at 8:32 PM on May 22, 2010 [1 favorite]

Might not be exactly what you're looking for, but there's a Thai dessert called Khanom Kluay that has mashed up bananas, coconut milk, and shredded coconut on top. Its presentation is quite Lost-esque. The recipe.
posted by sharkfu at 8:43 PM on May 22, 2010

Response by poster: Both great suggestions - I guess what I'm looking for is something where I can leave the coconut on the skin (a la survivor) and serve it. Once its in a sorbet or delicious mixed up dessert, it loses its "lost on an deserted island" vibe.
posted by Unred at 9:15 PM on May 22, 2010

You could serve something *in* a coconut half. That's what our favorite local restaurant, Palo Santo, does.
posted by novalis_dt at 10:13 PM on May 22, 2010

This internet provides Toasted Fresh Coconut with Coarse Salt. Although the recipe says strips, I don't see why you couldn't roast coconut chunks. Then you could have a variety of toppings at the ready, like banana slices, honey, crushed brazil nuts, or even like those tiny little shrimp and peanut sauce. I say this is something ripe for experimentation.
posted by Mizu at 11:01 PM on May 22, 2010

If you decide to abandon the cooked coconut idea, you could serve coconut water from green coconuts. Just slice off the top and add a straw!
posted by Houstonian at 3:42 AM on May 23, 2010

Well, I've never heard of roasted coconuts (!), but fresh coconut is so delicious on it's own, I would think it a shame to do anything to it. I would vote for fresh coconut chunks served in the shells. What I've done is to get a new hack saw blade and clean it thoroughly. Clamp the coconuts to a workbench and use the hack saw to cut them into neat halves. You can then pry out the flesh (careful with a knife!) and you remain with the perfect coconut shell bowls which you can use to serve in. You will get a little "sawdust" on the flesh directly adjacent to the saw (the kerf), but this is not a problem- can be easily discarded with minimal loss.

I'm in rural Africa, so a hack saw is all I can get, although it does work fine. If you're in civilization, I'd bet Williams Sonoma might have a more elegant stainless food-grade cutting solution. We do this at our family Xmas party to eat delicious coconut, and then make my kid little doll house homes out of the shells.
posted by MacChimpman at 3:46 AM on May 23, 2010

Yeah, serve a rum-based drink poured into a hole bored into a coconut. Add a long straw, a little umbrella, and serve with sauteed polar bear.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:24 AM on May 23, 2010

In theory you can roast a whole coconut but it doesn't sound like it adds a lot to the presentation.
posted by scalefree at 12:12 PM on May 23, 2010