Coconuts: Opening, Grating and Liquado

1. 1

   Opening Coconuts:

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   Open the coconuts by flinging them onto a cement or rock surface (this is how the monkeys do it!)

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   Don't worry about losing the liquid, as it's not the coconut milk called for in cooking.

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   Each coconut should break in 3 to 4 pieces.

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   It is also possible to open a coconut by piercing the eyes of the coconut with a screwdriver or ice pick, draining the liquid through the holes and placing the coconut in a 400 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.

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   Wrap the coconut in a towel and hit it with a hammer to loosen the shell and split it into pieces.

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   Pry out the white meat and then pare off the dark skin.

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   Grating Coconut Meat:

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   To grate the white meat, put the meat through the grating disk of a food processor or use a hand grater.

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    You should get about 7 cups of grated coconut from the two coconuts, which will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

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    Reserve 4 cups of the grated coconut for the pie crust and filling.

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    Coconut Liquado:

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    To make the coconut milk, combine the remaining 3 to 4 cups of loosely packed grated coconut with the milk (use 3/4 cup of coconut for each 1 cup of milk) in a heavy saucepan.

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    Heat slowly, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and cool.

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    Strain the milk, pressing down on the coconut meat to extract all the liquid.

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    Squeeze all the coconut through a towel to get any last drops.

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    Discard the coconut.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.