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[Ben-San]

I don't have any coconut milk but I do have "Coco Goya Cream Of Coconut". Would I be able to use that for the marinade in this recipe?

[wombat]

Ingredients of that Goya thing.

The potential problem seems to me to be that this product has sugar in it, but I don't see how to tell how much. Although it is a little worrisome that sugar is ahead of water in the ingredient list, which means more sugar than water.

The thing is that even if you don't mind the sweetness, sugar tends to burn.

But I would probably dilute it a bit and give it a try, if it wasn't for company or something.

[Ben-San]

Yeah, it's not for company, I just spotted the stuff in the pantry with nobody having any intention of ever using it and figured if I could make a dinner out of it that would be fine. I'll try the gradual-cutting-it thing.

(With my mom in the hospital I'm apparently on dinner-planning duty for the family. Tonight is oyako donburi, tomorrow is spiced meatballs plus vegetable stirfry, Sunday will be the coconut chicken attempt. Hooray for the Internet letting you find recipes based on what ingredients you know you have.)

[Ben-San]

So upon opening the can, the cream of coconut turned out to have gone.. funny.

Fortunately we live in a neighborhood where there is a large Caribbean and African immigrant population so the corner store has all the coconut milk you could want to buy, and the chicken is now marinating.

The oyako donburi last night was a great success, and the meatballs tonight were a moderate success. I ended up with a lot of burnt flour building up in the oil and generating smoke - what can I do about that?

[wombat]

How did meatballs involve flour?

[AlohaDawg]

So upon opening the can, the cream of coconut turned out to have gone.. funny.

Fortunately we live in a neighborhood where there is a large Caribbean and African immigrant population so the corner store has all the coconut milk you could want to buy, and the chicken is now marinating.

The oyako donburi last night was a great success, and the meatballs tonight were a moderate success. I ended up with a lot of burnt flour building up in the oil and generating smoke - what can I do about that?

I would definitely use the coconut in a sauce - thai curries make awesome use of coconut - did you deep fry the meatballs? I don't know either the reason for using flour. I usually brown meatballs on the stove and then bake them the rest of the way on a pan that drains the grease. It tends to leave them less greasy. Another trick I learned is to take a slice or two of bread, run water over them, then squeeze out all the water. You'll have a kind-of-gross mass of sticky doughy stuff in your hand but it's great at holding together meatballs...just mix it into the meat with your seasonings. I say this because I wonder if the flour was being employed to bind the meatballs together.

 The smoke is also a lot to do with the temperature you are frying at. I have deepfried battered items and even though you always have bits of batter that float in the oil for awhile, they rarely smoke. That could be the thing.

[Ben-San]

Another trick I learned is to take a slice or two of bread, run water over them, then squeeze out all the water. You'll have a kind-of-gross mass of sticky doughy stuff in your hand but it's great at holding together meatballs...just mix it into the meat with your seasonings. I say this because I wonder if the flour was being employed to bind the meatballs together.

The bread thing was actually already in the recipe. The meatballs were rolled in flour before frying. This wasn't me engaging in meatball design; I was using a recipe from the Internet.

The smoke is also a lot to do with the temperature you are frying at. I have deepfried battered items and even though you always have bits of batter that float in the oil for awhile, they rarely smoke. That could be the thing.

That could very easily be it.

[wombat]

I don't think there is any need to roll meatballs in flour before frying. That should solve your problem.

Also: An even better version of AD's bread suggestion is to soak the bread in buttermilk instead of water.

[Ben-San]

Also: An even better version of AD's bread suggestion is to soak the bread in buttermilk instead of water.

Quite possibly but that's not happening in a kosher kitchen.

[AugustWest]

I always use breadcrumbs in meatballs/meatloaf.  Easier to do, same effect.

[wombat]

The bread soaked in buttermilk tastes really different from breadcrumbs. But if you aren't allowed to put buttermilk in your meat like in Ben's case, bread doesn't seem worth the extra effort.

But wait - how about the coconut milk?

[CortJstr]

The bread soaked in buttermilk tastes really different from breadcrumbs. But if you aren't allowed to put buttermilk in your meat like in Ben's case, bread doesn't seem worth the extra effort.

But wait - how about the coconut milk?

Well coconut milk isn't actually dairy. What with coming from a coconut and all.

[Ben-San]

Yeah, coconut milk is just made from coconut. No actual milk involved.

Speaking of which, the coconut chicken was a great success. The side vegetables got steamed a little too long, but the main course went smashingly and is the kind of thing I would damn well serve to company. Hooray for recipes from the Internet!

[wombat]

No, that's what I meant - you could do coconut milk meatballs instead.  With some kind of nice exotic dipping sauce.

[jaydub]

No, that's what I meant - you could do coconut milk meatballs instead.  With some kind of nice exotic dipping sauce.

Dragonfruit & durian chutney maybe?