There are a few great songs about coconuts. Zazu in Disney’s The Lion King sings a cheeky, British song about the coconut. If the fruit pairing in this recipe were different, I’d also share this Harry Nilsson song that you may recognize if you’ve ever been to a chorus concert at an elementary school. Is coconut a fruit? a nut? a seed? Let’s find out together with 15-25: Coconut Custard with Mango.
The cracked coconut in the background is what you may think of when hearing the word “coconut”, however, the brown and white fleshy part is the seed of the fruit. Every part of the fruit of the coconut is used in many different applications all around the planet.
Mangoes are a flavorful tropical fruit that have a unique flavor and texture. Be prepared to get messy when cutting into a mango, the fruit flesh underneath the skin is slimy and juicy. The sweet flavor of the coconut custard pairs well with the tangy flavor of the mango.
I found chunks of mango in juice cups at the supermarket and held on to them for this recipe. We usually keep some coconut milk in the pantry because it is so versatile to cook with.
Beating eggs is always a good way to get aggression out.
“Beat the devil out of ’em” as Bob Ross might say, until light and fluffy.
Coconut milk is thick and syrup-y. It tastes really good and sticks to the cup when you add it to the beaten eggs. Add one cup to the eggs.
I grabbed a 1/3 cup of sugar and added it to the bowl. It’s time to combine!
The custard mix looks fluffy and delicious. The instructions advised to strain this mix.
Now I see why they suggested to strain the mixture. The coconut milk has chunks of coconut flesh floating in it. The custard mix needs to be steamed to set up properly. The final consistency of the dish is much like a fluffy scrambled egg with light air bubbles.
This preparation method will help the custard cook quickly and set up evenly. The ramekins make for easy serving and cleanup.
The foil prevents the top from drying out and the water from getting on the custard which would deflate the eggs. The hot water and steam will cook the custard through. Next, I started putting together the small food processor to make the mango topping.
Pouring the mangoes in the food processor was very easy, just open the plastic film on the cup and dump it in. I also added some water.
The custard cups are percolating away in the pot. The lid was the perfect size to fit in the largest saucepan we have.
After a few pulses in the food processor, the mango sauce is blended to perfection.
It’s my first time steaming a custard so I peeled the foil off one to see if they were done. It looks all set up so I pulled them out.
What happened to my ramekin? I think it was wet from the steam and some dirt stuck to the side. I didn’t see the dirt in the camera’s viewfinder or else I would have taken another photo. The sweet mango topping complimented the custard nicely, however, I felt the custard needed more sugar in it. It was not nearly sweet enough and the egg flavor was very strong. To be honest, I only ate one of these and then threw the rest away as it was not my ideal dish.
GRADE: C-
