Taro is a staple of the tropics. Here it is baked a served with coconut syrup and macadamia nuts making a very island inspired side dish.
Coconut Baked Taro with Macadamia Nuts
Print This Recipe Yield 6Source Adapted from Sam ChoyPublishedServes 6. Many Asian markets carry coconut syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 pound taro (about ½ of a large corm)
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup coconut syrup
- salt and pepper as needed
- ½ cup toasted macademia nuts, roughly chopped
- ½ cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
Directions
Wearing gloves, completely peel the taro. Then halve it lengthwise and cut it into 3/4‑inch cubes. Add the cubes to a large bowl and cover them with cool water and allow them to soak about 30 minutes to remove some of the starch (optional).
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add the taro to a large pot of salted water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Parboil the taro until just beginning to soften. About 7 minutes. Drain the taro, returning it to the bowl.
While the taro is still warm drizzle the coconut syrup over it and add salt and pepper to taste and mix it well to get the taro completely coated.
Pour the taro into a buttered baking dish. Dollop the remaining butter all over the top. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven about 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and transfer the taro and any liquid to a large serving platter or bowl. Top with the chopped toasted macadamia nuts and coconut flakes, add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
I was 18 and drank too many gin and tonics. Never have tasted gin since. So it’s vodka martinis for me and I still think vodka counts, but I’ll trust your decision about vermouth. I’ll have a dirty vodka martini straight up. Did I just make you wince?
Greg,
You may be shocked to hear this, but many bartenders in Los Angeles OMIT the vermouth entirely from the vodka martini. I come from the east coast where vermouth was always added to the glass for a delicate rinse and then removed. But when I came to LA I was shocked to hear that martinis at most bars are made without even the slightest bit of vermouth. HORROR!
Whenever you order a vodka martini, be sure to tell you server/bartender you like the stuff!
I’ve had what I think must be great martinis but I seem to love the vodka soaked olives more than the drink. I am such a girl! So by your definition my Lavender Lemonade Martini is, hmm, just a Lavender Lemonade with vodka in a martini glass? Now that’s a mouthful and why I call it what I do I guess! Please don’t hate me.
There’s no reason to name every new concoction a “martini.” What you have is a Lavender Lemonade Cocktail or, more prosaically, The Provençal Lemonade Cocktail.
I am ashamed to say I have never had a martini. Even when I used to like liquor 25 years ago, I never had one. But I lost my taste for liquor a long time ago so I don’t think I could enjoy even a perfect martini. It’s a shame because your post makes me want to want one.
I don’t drink much but when I do I always choose a (Bombay Sapphire)Gin Martini straight (not dirty)with two olives, vodka gives me bad memories… But sipping on a gin martini always makes me feel sexy, I’m not sure if it’s the gin talking or the act of holding a classy martini glass and walking around in high heels. Either or, after reading this post, I think tonight is Gin Martini time 🙂 Have a good weekend Greg!
I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever had a really GOOD martini. At least never one that made me go. WOW. I think I need to just sit at home one Friday and spend a vast amount of time experimenting until I get the perfect one. Using all of your tips, of course. And also that way when I end up completely wasted I can blame you. Sound like a plan?
Guys.. no doubt, best Dry martini in life is.. Tanqueray TEN, Lillet Blanc and a grapefruit twist…
I was going to recommend using Lillet Blanc instead of vermouth as a nice substitute. Good call.
My favorite drink! The perfect drink. A dirty one for me, please. Extra olives!
But I love vodka martinis! Only with Grey Goose vodka though…otherwise not for me. I just can’t get over the flavour of gin, though I do love gin and tonic or gin and ginger. Is that uncouth of me?
There is nothing uncouth about a G&T. GREG
I know, I know…it’s not a real martini with vodka, but gin gives me a major headache! I love the post and the fact that you refer to your favorite “current” martini. I will now want to know your “next” favorite martini!
You are correct that the ingredients should be icy cold, but NOT by keeping them in the fridge or the freezer. The contents become icy cold through the stirring with ice, and this also causes some of the ice to melt, creating the critical dilution necessary for a delicious martini. If you keep the ingredients in the freezer, no ice melts, and you don’t have enough water in your cocktail to soften the ingredients to perfection.
As for a “naked” martini, please let’s call a glass of gin straight up a glass of gin straight up. A martini is a mixture (ratios debate, as already mentioned) of gin and vermouth and, traditionally, bitters. Leave one of those out and it’s no longer a martini.
Speaking of which, vodka does not go in a martini. A martini is gin and vermouth (and bitters). If you make a drink with vodka and vermouth, it is a kangaroo cocktail.
I have tried it both ways. And you can get excellent results either way. But there are small differences.
When you start with everything room temp then mix, you do indeed get the essential dilution you mentioned. But because I like to stir a good long time (20–30 second) I find it easy to over do it and get too much dilutionm maybe my stirring style is too vigorous.… Besides that, once it is poured into a room temperature glass almost immediately it changes temperature.
But for me when everything is cold, and you stir for 30 seconds you get just a bit of dilution from stirring. The bonus comes because everything is so cold the tiny pieces of ice have not yet completely melted so they slip through the strainer and into the glass. GREG
I always chill the glass before making the martini. If I’ve planned far enough ahead of time I’ll put a glass or two in the freezer, and take it out just before I strain, but otherwise I’ll crack two cubes of ice into a glass and fill it with water before I start making the drink, and dump out the water just before I strain.
I generally don’t have a problem with ice shards during straining if I stir a drink, but if I make a drink which I shake (anything with fruit juice in it), then I’ll double strain, using a regular Hawthorne strainer on the shaker, and holding a fine mesh tea strainer beneath that to catch the slush of ice that would otherwise over-dilute the drink.
I’m starting to appreciate gin but haven’t worked up to a true martini yet.
Our entire family loves dry martinis. Even Meakin’s 99 year old father. Personally I like the smoky martini, but oddly enough not many people have heard of it. Noilly Pratt is the very best vermouth. I’m the only one who prefers a vodka martini to gin, but you can always count on me to be a little bit different.
Sam
Please? Pretty Please? And in that stunning glass I’m in love.…
Fantastic post. Great information on martinis and recipes. Enjoyable read.
notice not one of those recipes calls for vodka ! thank you very much !
I love this post. I’ve gotten into martini’s alot lately and I loved reading about them in this post. I’ve been making my martini’s with vodka though, not gin. I personally like it better, but its just my taste!!!