Your email address is required to begin the subscription process. We will use it for customer service and other communications from Milk Street. You can unsubscribe from receiving our emails at any time.
Colombian Coconut Braised Chicken
Traditionally, pollo con leche de coco is made with fresh coconut milk. We found that canned coconut—both regular and light—was so rich and heavy they eclipsed the other ingredients in the braise. We opted instead to make our own coconut milk with unsweetened shredded coconut and hot water. The process took only a few minutes and yielded a light, flavorful coconut milk that worked wonderfully. If you require a shortcut, 1½ cups coconut water is an acceptable option, but the flavor will be less complex. We liked this paired with coconut rice, but plain rice is good, too.
4
Servings
Tip
Don't use cold water when pureeing the shredded coconut. Warm water slightly softens the shreds so they break down and release their flavor more easily.
40 minutes
Ingredients
-
1½
cups unsweetened shredded coconut
-
2
tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
Directions
-
01In a blender, combine the coconut and 2 cups warm water. Let stand until the coconut begins to soften, about 1 minute. Blend on high until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup or medium bowl, pressing on the solids; you should have 1½ cups strained coconut milk. Discard the solids; set the coconut milk aside.
Pardon the interruption
You need to be a Milk Street Digital Member to see the full recipe
JOIN MILK STREET DIGITAL & PRINT
12 WEEKS FOR JUST $1
and get access to all of our recipes and articles online, as well as in print.
GET DIGITAL & PRINTReviews
November 27, 2022
Unique family favorite
Smells amazing while cooking! One of our family favorite recipes.
July 25, 2022
Weeknight cooking at its best
I make this at least once a week for my family. It's easy and deliciouss!
P.S. Another facet of the dish that I liked was creating the coconut milk by blending dried coconut flakes with warm water. I always keep dried coconut on hand but never thought of creating a coconut milk this way. This method might be particularly attractive technique for for people who don't have canned coconut milk on hand or otherwise don't want all the calories of the canned kind.
Outstanding! The flavor of the sauce is rich with flavor but not too heavy. If you are watching your sodium intake like myself, I found that using low-sodium soy sauce and omitting the kosher salt still resulted in a perfectly seasoned dish. I sprinkled a small amount of fresh flat-leaf parsley at the end along with the lime wedge because I enjoy that flavor combo. I don't even eat meat/poultry/pork very often at all, but when I make an exception, this recipe will be at the top of the list.
This is a good dish as written, but the coconut was undetectable. I was happy to skip the high fat content of canned coconut milk by making my own as instructed, but the strong turmeric, garlic, and allspice [all yummy]overpowered it. I’ll try it with stock next time and see if there is a difference.
Become A Subscriber To Rate and Review All Our Recipes.
Please Log in or join today for $1.
Delicious, followed the recipe exactly.