serves
4–6
prep
15 minutes
cook
5 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4–6
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
5
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
The creamy coconut flavour is perfect with a lychee and there is something deeply appealing about eating the fruit semi-frozen. Sesame praline adds a final sweet salty crunch.
Ingredients
- 400 ml coconut cream
- 300 g peeled and seeded lychees
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 30 g black sesame seeds, toasted
- 30 g white sesame seeds, toasted
- 180 g caster sugar
- 50 ml water
- ½ tsp salt flakes
Freezing time: 4 hours
Instructions
Combine the coconut cream, lychees and vanilla essence together in a bowl. Pour this mix into a baking type tray about 15 cm x 26 cm. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
Leave the mix in the freezer for about 4 hours but occasionally pull it out and give it a little fork, like you would a granita.
Combine your sesame seeds and then pour them out onto a baking tray covered in baking paper. You want them sitting closely together.
Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over high heat to caramelise. You want a nice dark caramel to create a slightly bitter praline so you must watch your caramel vigilantly. It will take a while to reach a light brown and then from there will quickly darken and easily be taken too far. You can give your pan a little gentle swirl every now and again.
Once your caramel is a dark brown, quickly pour it over the sesame seeds. Pinch over the salt flakes and the praline aside to cool.
Once the praline is ready, pull it off the baking paper and break it up into chunks. Place it in a mortar and pestle and pound until it’s the texture of salt flakes. A few bits left slightly chunkier are good, though.
Once the coconut mix is mostly set, you are good to go. Roughly scoop it into bowls and sprinkle with the praline to serve.
Cook’s tips
• If the coconut mix is left too long, it will freeze quite hard and prove difficult to serve. If this happens, all you need to do is leave it out until it softens agains, give it another little fork and then serve.
Photography by Benito Martin. Food styling by O Tama Carey. Prop styling by Lynsey Fryers. Food preparation by Nick Banbury.
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Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
The creamy coconut flavour is perfect with a lychee and there is something deeply appealing about eating the fruit semi-frozen. Sesame praline adds a final sweet salty crunch.
