Toasted Coconut Ice Cream & the Meaning of Life

Yesterday my friend Clarky and I held a bit of a do for or friend Roberta’s birthday – here is a picture of the table laid for dinner, nice setting or what!

We ate Seafood Mixed Grill (swordfish, fresh tuna, wonderful big juicy shrimp and red snapper), roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Salad, Spicy Mayonnaise and Crusty Bread followed by Homemade Toasted Coconut Ice Cream, Birthday Cake and Fresh Fruit Salad spiked with rum and fresh lime. 

I thought you might like the ice cream recipe …

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream 

This ice cream used to be a staple on my menus out here, using sweetened shredded coconut imported from America. It is difficult to find in the UK but worth seeking out, desiccated coconut just isn’t the same BUT it’s OK, don’t worry, just scroll down for how to make desiccated coconut much nicer. 

500ml double cream
50ml rum or coconut rum such as Malibu
200g condensed milk
200g sweetened shredded coconut or see below

~  Preheat oven to 180ºC/350°F/160ºC fan/gas 4.
~   Spread the coconut in a shallow pan or tray and bake for about 10 minutes, checking and stirring often till a lot of it is golden brown.    The sugar in the coconut will make it burn easily so be astute.
~   Cool.
~   Whisk together the cream and the rum till thick. 
~   Fold in the condensed milk together with almost all the toasted coconut – keep a little back to sprinkle on when serving. 
~   Freeze.

This is delicious served with …

Caramel/Pineapple/Rum Sauce

I have made this with fresh pineapple but the difference in taste is minimal and the increase in labour is on the maximal side. Of course, if you’ve got a fresh pineapple lying about the place go for it.

450g/2¼ cups granulated sugar
small can (227g/8 oz) pineapple in fruit juice
3 tablespoons rum or Malibu

~   Drain the pineapple setting aside the juices.
~   Coarsely chop the pineapple.
~   Put the fruit juice right beside the stove.
~   In a small heavy pan over medium heat stir together the sugar and 120ml/½ cup of water till the sugar is dissolved completely.
~   Turn up the heat and boil the sugar, watching it all the while but not stirring at all, but you can carefully swirl the pan a bit as it takes on colour.
~   Watch carefully. 
~   As soon as it reaches a lovely rich golden-brown caramel colour carefully pour in the fruit juice.  This will splatter a bit so stand back. Stir over the flame till the caramel, which will have hardened, melts again.
~   Stir in the chopped pineapple, turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes till the pineapple is a little darker.
~   Away from the heat stir in the rum or Malibu.
~   Cool the sauce and then chill till needed.

For lots of easy, no-churn ice cream recipes, information, tips, ideas, serving suggestions and accoutrements see my book Luscious Ice Creams without a Machine.

Read all about it here

How to Make Desiccated Coconut
so very much Nicer!

200g sugar
120ml water
200g desiccated coconut

~   Stir the sugar and water together over low heat till the sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil.
~   Add the desiccated coconut and stir all together – the coconut will absorb the syrup.
~   Spread the moist coconut in a shallow lower on a sheet pan and set aside to dry, which will take all day or overnight, depending when you do it.  It can be stored in the fridge for several days or frozen at this stage.

Spicy Tuna & Mango Koftas

Today’s lunch was made from last night’s remains, of course.  I coarsely chopped about 3-4 oz leftover fish which was mainly tuna – cooked pink to please everyone, and it did – and one leftover slice of grilled mango.  To this I added about 1 tbsp mayo and a few drips of West Indian Hot sauce and mixed in enough fresh breadcrumbs to bind the mixture.  I made little balls with the resulting goo and fried them till crisp in a little olive oil.  I was not disappointed and the sudden sweet tastes of mango were excellent.

Whilst eating lunch I listened to a nearby parrot pretend to be a telephone, watched pelicans splooshing into the sea and noticed a boat parked father out than us that put everything into perspective …

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