I once wanted to try my hand at making coconut milk and read that the best way to crack open a coconut is to mimic the way monkeys do it. So I went out to my driveway, lifted my coconut high above my head, and sent it crashing down to the pavement. Suddenly, I began to feel rather wet from my knees down, and I realized that the watery liquid had splashed everywhere, saturating my shoes and trousers. I suppose I should have followed those instructions more literally. Since monkeys don’t wear clothing, I probably should have removed mine first. So if you see a scantily clad man hurling coconuts around in your neighborhood, don’t call the police. It’s probably me preparing the ingredients for this really delicious sorbet, which combines two of my favorite flavors: dark, bittersweet chocolate and sweet coconut. On second thought, maybe I should just stick to store-bought coconut milk from now on.…
Thai coconut milk can be found in well-stocked supermarkets or Asian markets. Do not substitute Coco López, which is heavily sweetened.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 1 quart (1 liter)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Warm the water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate pieces and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the coconut milk and vanilla. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If a layer of coconut milk has firmed up on top, simply whisk in it before churning.
Perfect Pairings
Step 2
Serve Chocolate-Coconut Sorbet atop a Blondie (page 222), topped with a spoonful of Dulce de Leche (page 171) or Cajeta (page 173) and some toasted shredded coconut.
