Making coconut cream

Here's the recipe:

1. Find an appropriately aged coconut

Fresh off the tree is preferred. If you can't find one off the ground - you can get them from backgarden palm trees.

Beware - always look skywards when standing under a coconut tree, esp. if you are trying to knock one down!







2. Remove the husk
Traditionally in Samoa this is achieved by putting a metal or wooden pole into the ground and smashing the coconut onto this until the pole is just under the husk. Then peel under the nut is revealed, continue until either you stab yourself in the leg, or the entire husk is removed!








3. Open the nut

Grab the nearest machete, every Samoan household has one! Hit the nut across the centre with the dull side of the knife. Continue until it splits in two.








4. Cleaning out the shell

Using a toothed piece of metal attached to a wooden bench, scrape the “meat” from the coconut. Watch out for your fingers! This will create a pile of shredded coconut.








5. Making the cream

Using a net of finely separated leaves, grab a handful of the shredded coconut and squeeze out the cream. Continue to do this until all of the cream has been removed from the shredded coconut. Finally, filter the cream through the net of leaves to remove any debris and Voila! You have coconut cream!