Recipe origin: Islands of the Pacific
Ingredients
- 1 ripe coconut (shake coconut before purchasing to make sure there is liquid inside)
Procedure
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- With help from an adult, use a metal skewer or ice pick to pierce two of the soft spots at the top, where the "eyes" are.
- Drain the liquid and save to use in other recipes.
- Place the coconut on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool until it can be handled (about 5 minutes).
- If it is not already cracked open, place the coconut on a hard surface and tap with a hammer until the shell breaks.
- Remove the white flesh with a spoon or table knife. Peel off the thin, brown inner skin with a vegetable peeler.
- Grate the coconut pieces on the fine side of a manual grater or cut into coarse pieces and grind in a food processor.
- Use the grated coconut to make coconut milk (recipe follows), as a garnish for fruit salad or ice cream, or in other recipes.
