Coconut milk is used a lot in Thai food, mainly in curries and desserts. It is extracted from finely grated, mature, coconut flesh. And it’s not the clear, refreshing, coconut water that you find inside a young green coconut served as a drink. Only mature coconut flesh can be used as it is squeezed into a rich milk. That’s right, it is literally squeezed!
Traditionally we grate the flesh with a “rabbit”, (which is a little stool you sit on, attached with a finely jagged edged metal grate used to turn the flesh into a pulp). Then add a little hot water and knead before squeezing it through sieve lined with muslin cloth.
That’s the “head”, the crème de la crème of coconut milk. Continue to add more warm water and repeat the process a couple of times to get the “body”. Give it another knead and squeeze through the muslin to get the “tail” if you can still feel any fat left in that pulp.
It’s ideal to use fresh coconut milk but it takes time and a bit of skill. Simpler, and perfectly OK, to go down to the super market and select a carton of coconut milk from the shelf…they are all good quality these days!
But the thing to remember is that traditional curry recipes will instruct that you first reduce the “head” of the coconut milk in a wok until the oil is separated and floating to the top. Then fry the curry paste in this oil until fragrant; nothing wasted.
Remember, the processed coconut milk in cartons and cans will be homogenized and will include emulsifiers to different degrees. This prevents the oil in the milk from separating. Imported brands are made to be even more stabilized so most of the time, the coconut milk won’t separate! Don’t give up if you stand there watching your coconut milk reduced into a wok char. Actually, don’t! bother with the coconut oil, just use a bit of vegetable oil to fry the curry paste instead. Add a little coconut milk to ease the frying and continue with the recipe. It won’t disappoint.
In Thailand fresh coconut milk is always available at your town’s fresh markets. You can buy it freshly grated and try to squeeze it the old way, or you can even buy the ready squeezed as the machine extractor is doing it for you at the market stall.
When I was young I used to have to grate it myself as my Mother insisted. But I wouldn’t recommend that to you, it will save so much time. Unless you’re bored and looking for a new purpose in life of course!
Fresh coconut milk doesn’t last very long. Use it immediately or keep in fresh and use within 24 hour to get the best flavor and fragrance. If you can’t, cook it first, cool and then store. Depending on what dish you plan to use it in it’s safe to just simmer it over medium low heat until gently boiling, then take it off the heat, let it cool and store in the fridge. It will keep for a few days this way.
