IT SEEMS A little strange that in the middle of winter there are cherries available in many of our fruit shops. This opportunistic import from the United States seems to be selling well, according to my fruiterer, but I just can't get excited about eating cherries when it's cold. I think I'll wait for summer.
So for this week's column I walked a few doors from my fruit shop to the local supermarket for inspiration. I wanted to find an alternative to the cherries. Something imported but, unlike the cherries, not already produced here. Tucked in among the shelves dedicated to baking was a clear, resealable bag of organic coconut flour from the Philippines.
Coconut - desiccated, flaked, chipped and in strands - I've
seen and used, but coconut flour is new to me. It has none of
the sticky gluten associated with the wheat flours so care must
be taken when substituting and binding agents such as arrowroot
or egg should be considered. Replacing up to 30 per cent of
wheat flour in a recipe with coconut flour should have little
bearing on the final outcome apart from added texture and the
flavour of coconut.
It works well as a coating. Try mixing coconut flour with a little paprika and some grated parmesan as a dusting for chicken, veal or pork before frying. Combine it with finely chopped red chilli and some chopped parsley to make a crust for tropical fish pieces of coral trout, barramundi or red emperor.
Perhaps the most successful application of coconut flour is in desserts. Mixed with fresh ricotta, sugar, a little vanilla, some chopped candied fruit and your choice of spice such as nutmeg, cinnamon or cardamom, coconut flour makes a wonderful, fresh filling for cannoli, sponge cake and sweet turnovers. It's a matter of trial and error but coconut flour is versatile. Substitute it for wheat flour in pancakes or muffins or try making banana bread with it.
Coconut prawns with chilli cabbage
24 king prawns
150g coconut flour
Half cup chopped coriander
2 eggs, beaten
Quarter head of cabbage, finely shredded
2 red chillies, finely sliced
6 tbsp red wine vinegar
8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Toss the shredded cabbage with the chilli, vinegar and oil, season with salt and pepper, and leave for at least 30 minutes, mixing occasionally. Shell the prawns, leaving the tail on. Butterfly them by slitting along the back and remove the digestive tract. Flatten them between two of pieces of plastic. Mix the coconut flour with the coriander and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each prawn in the egg first, then press into the coconut flour mixture so that the prawns are all well coated. Shallow fry the prawns in some extra virgin olive oil, turning once. Serve on top of the cabbage. Serves 6
Ricotta and coconut torta (pictured)
1kg fresh ricotta
65g coconut flour
165g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp unsalted butter
15g coconut flour
2 tbsp arrowroot
2 tsp ground cardamom
4 tbsp rosewater
100ml cream
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, coconut flour, sugar and vanilla and refrigerate for half an hour. Meanwhile, grease a 20cm cake tin with the butter and dust with the 15g of coconut flour. Preheat oven to 165C. Remove the ricotta mixture from the refrigerator and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan before removing it. Serve with sprinkled brown sugar or caramelised sugar shards