Coconut Ice Cream

I don't know if it's been the same where you are, but here it has been hot. Unseasonably hot. We live in a third floor apartment, so it has been really hot. Time for some ice cream...

Empty 1 can (13-14 fl oz) coconut milk into a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of milk, 1 cup of toasted unsweetened coconut flakes (toast your flakes by putting them on a baking sheet under the broiler, but keep an eye on them or they will burn!) and a few pieces of lime peel (remove with a vegetable peeler - be careful to avoid the white pith) and bring to a boil. Switch off the heat and cover the pan. Let it sit for 30 minutes (this is called steeping), then pour through a strainer into a bowl and then back into a clean pan (leaving the flakes and peel in the strainer).

Beat 4 egg yolks with 2/3 cup of sugar until they lighten in color. Meanwhile, bring the coconut milk mixture to a boil. Pour a little of the mixture onto the yolks and stir vigorously to combine. Then pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining milk mixture. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon while heating. As soon as a line drawn in the back of the spoon with your finger stays (the custard does not run back into the line - this point will be reached quickly), pour the contents of the pan through a clean strainer into a chilled bowl (preferably on ice or in ice water). Stir the mixture in the bowl to help it cool down.

Chill your ice cream base in the refrigerator and churn in an ice cream maker. Freeze.

This recipe is based loosely on one in 'Ice Cream: The Perfect Weekend Treat' by Susanna Tee.

Note 1 - If you cannot find unsweetened coconut flakes you could substitute sweetened flakes or shredded coconut. If you use sweetened product, you may need to cut back slightly on the amount of sugar you use.

Note 2 - The original recipe suggested leaving the soaked flakes back in the ice cream. I didn't like their texture, so I left them out. You can decide if you want to keep them or throw them out. The original also suggested adding a little Malibu or white rum, which might be interesting...

Note 3 - A friend pointed out how much saturated fat there is in a can of coconut milk - 70 g (almost 2.5 oz). If this is a concern for you, consider using half coconut milk and half milk (about 9 fl oz of each), which would cut the fat content down a little...

Note 4 - Metric info: 1 can = about 400 ml; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 1 cup = 240 ml; 2/3 cup = 160 ml.

Green Curry Mussels

So, I still had some mussels left over from the Japanese Noodle Soup I made last night. After checking the cupboards, I realized I had enough ingredients to make this recipe, based on an appetizer we had at Leunig's Bistro in Burlington, VT a while back.

Start by inspecting your mussels. I used just short of 2 lb. Rinse them, debeard (pull the hair that is hanging out, if there is one) and discard any which are broken or will not close when tapped (these ones are probably dead and should not be eaten). Rope-cultured mussels are best as they tend not to have any grit in them.

Mince 1 clove of garlic, a small 'finger' of ginger (peeled), and dice 1/4 onion. Sweat in oil until softened. Stir in just over 1 tbsp Thai green curry paste (usually found in jars in the Asian section of the supermarket) and cook for about 1 minute. Add about 1/4 cup white wine, stir to mix the paste in and turn up the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Add the mussels and cover the pan. Steam until all of the mussels have opened (you can remove them as they open if you wish). Discard any mussels that do not open (but give them a chance to do so), and remove them to a clean bowl and keep warm.

To the sauce in the pan, add 1/2 can (7 floz) coconut milk (shake the can before opening) and about 1/4 cup of cream or half and half. Allow to simmer and reduce for a few minutes until thick. Add a little lime juice, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste.

To serve, pour the sauce over the mussels in bowls. Garnish with shredded mint, basil and sliced scallions. This would be great with some jasmine rice, but I ate it with some bread.

Note 1 - If you don't have any white wine, you can substitute an equal volume of water.

Note 2 - Vary the herb garnish as desired based on what you have available. Cilantro would also be good.

Note 3 - Metric info: 2lb = 900g; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 7 floz = 200 ml.