Put the lime in the coconut…

I’m off to Thailand for a couple of weeks in January and Thai food is one of my favourite cuisines. The rich flavours of lemongrass, lime leaves, galangal, chillies, and coriander never fail to amaze me with their fantastic tastes and aromas. Venturing into Thai cooking for the first time may seem a little daunting with lots of unusual ingredients and spicy flavour combinations, but if you do it right, you’ll be richly rewarded with all the subtle fragrances of Thailand without the getting your mouth burnt off by raw chillies. Coconut plays a large in counterbalancing a lot of the heat in Thai food and it’s an ingredient that I’ve come to love. That said, one of my least favourite ingredients of all time, is desiccated coconut. I can’t stand it. It's like finding a handful of sawdust in your mouth. It’s on a par with those awful glacé cherries!

The coconut tree is known as the 'Tree of Life' and the truth is coconuts are one of the most useful, versatile, and no-waste foods around. It’s possible to use almost every part of this tropical fruit: its wood is used for furniture and building, its branches make great thatched roofs and not only are coconuts delicious, but they are also highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals including iron, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. Although coconuts are one of those foods that oscillate between the 'good' food and 'bad' food Camps, so it’s probably best used in moderation (1-2 times per week).

Coconut milk and cream is thick, light, and delicious. Unlike cow's milk, coconut milk is also lactose free so can be used as a milk substitute by those with lactose intolerance. It is a popular choice with vegans and makes a great base for smoothies, milkshakes or as a dairy alternative in baking. Coconuts get a refreshingly citric lift from lemons and limes. In delicious Thai curries the milk is infused with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, but other classic flavour profiles include chocolate, strawberry, mango, cardamom, pineapple, and banana.

Among this week’s recipes is a sinfully delicious coconut banoffee. It’s a simple version of the old English classic layered into a glass. Most of it can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge before finishing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’ve added a healthier touch with the addition of chia seeds, but let’s not kid ourselves…this dessert is a pleasurable, decadent treat!

Happy cooking and have a truly delicious New Year!

Yellow Thai curry with chicken

Ingredients serve 4

4 chicken breasts, skinned & diced

1 tin of coconut milk

2 sweet potatoes, peeled & diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 small bunch of coriander

Yellow curry paste

3tbsp chopped lemongrass

4 small red chillies, deseeded

5g fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, peeled

3 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp fish sauce

½ tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp salt

Juice of 1 lime

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processer and blend to a thick paste.

2. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and sweat the onion and diced sweet potatoes until they start to soften.

3. Add the chicken breast and 2 tablespoons of yellow curry paste.

4. Pour over the coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through.

5. Season to taste, sprinkle with torn coriander leaves and serve with boiled jasmine rice.

Simple coconut Banoffee with chia seeds

Ingredients serve 4

Crumble base

100g pecans

150g peeled almonds

1tsp chia seeds

1tsp cacao powder

1 teaspoons of honey

Place the nuts, chia seeds and cacao powder in a food processor and blend until a crumbly mix forms, and then add the honey.

Banana & coconut cream

2 very ripe bananas, sliced

1tbsp honey

200ml coconut milk

100ml cream

Place the bananas, cream, coconut milk and honey in a food processor and blend to a thick, smooth puree.

Toffee sauce

150ml water

250g sugar

200ml cream

50g butter

2 bananas, sliced

1. Bring the water and sugar to the boil in a heavy bottomed pan. Cook (without stirring) until golden brown for 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and immediately add the cream and butter. Stir well until smooth and add the sliced bananas.

3. To serve, layer 4 glasses with the crumble base and place a good spoonful of toffee and bananas on top.

4. Divide the banana-coconut cream between the 4 glasses and place another layer of toffee and bananas on top of the cream.

5. Finish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle with chia seeds. Serve immediately.

Lobster & coconut soup with lemongrass & Thai fish balls

Ingredients serve 4-6

1 cooked lobster

1 onion, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 leek, cleaned and chopped

4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

50g rice

50ml brandy

1 litre of fish stock

50ml white wine

125ml coconut milk

1 tbsp tomato purée

100ml double cream

2 lemongrass stalks

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt, and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the lobster on its back and with a chef’s knife, cut the lobster from underneath, all the way from the tail to the head.

2. Remove and refrigerate the claw and tail meat. Keep the heads and shells for the soup.

3. Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan and add the lobster heads and shells. Reduce the heat and fry for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the onion, carrots, leeks, lemongrass, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the tomatoes, brandy, white wine, tomato puree and cover with fish stock. Simmer for 5-8 minutes.

5. Add the rice and cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove the lobster heads and blend the soup until smooth. Pass the soup through a fine sieve and place in a clean saucepan.

6. Stir in the cream, coconut milk and lemon juice.

7. Season to taste and serve with Thai fish balls.

Thai fish balls

500g fresh white fish fillets (cod, haddock or hake)

1 tsp red curry paste

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp fish sauce

Juice of 1 lime

3 shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced

Seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Place the white fish, curry paste, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce in the bowl of a food processor and process until a coarse paste forms.

3. Transfer fish mixture to a bowl, stir in the shallot and season to taste. Roll a tablespoonful of the fish mixture into a ball. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining fish mixture.

4. Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the fish balls and cook, turning often, for 5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining oil and fish balls, reheating the pan between batches.

5. Bake in oven for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with lobster & coconut soup.