Recipes
Coconut custard, pineapple, lychee, coriander, meringue
45 minutes plus refrigeration time
Preparation time
4 hours
Cooking time
4 serves
Serves
Ingredients
Coconut custard
200 ml coconut cream
80 ml (⅓ cup) soy milk
½ vanilla bean, scraped
2 egg yolks
1 egg
55 g (¼ cup) coconut sugar
Coconut meringue
3 egg whites
165 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
20 g (¼ cup) desiccated coconut
Pineapple
¼ pineapple, trimmed, thinly cut into circles
200 ml star anise flavoured sugar syrup
2 tbsp thinly sliced coriander leaves
To serve
1 tbsp coriander flowers
Coconut shards
30 g freeze dried lychees, optional
Pomegranate seeds, optional
Method
Coconut custard
- Place 4 silicon dariole moulds on a perforated steam tray and set aside.
- Place the coconut cream, soy milk, vanilla seeds and bean in a medium sized saucepan and infuse for 30 minutes on a low heat, Induction setting 3. Remove the vanilla bean.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together yolks, egg and sugar. Remove coconut cream mixture from the heat and slowly add to egg mixture, whisking as you go.
- Stand the mixture for 5 minutes then skim any bubbles from the surface.
- Pour the custard evenly into the dariole moulds and cover with
aluminium foil or cling wrap. - Place into the steam oven and Steam at 85°C for 35 minutes or until custards are set.
- Once cooked, remove from steam oven and let the custards cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Coconut meringue
- Line a baking tray with baking paper
- Pre-heat warming drawer on Cooking function, setting 5.
- Place the egg whites and sugar into a saucepan on low heat, Induction setting 3, stir gently with a whisk until the temperature reaches 60°C with a digital food thermometer or until the mixture becomes runny. The sugar will now be dissolved.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with a whisk attached and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes or until very white, glossy and the peaks hold firm.
- Using a spatula, thinly spread meringue onto the pre-prepared baking tray. The thickness should be 2mm. Sprinkle coconut on top.
- Place into a warming drawer on Food Setting 5 (approximately 85°C) for 4 hours, or until crisp.
- Break the coconut meringue into shards.
Pineapple
- Add the sliced pineapple to the syrup and then add the coriander,
infusing for 10 minutes before serving.
To serve
- Remove the coconut custard from the fridge and run a paring knife around the edge of each mould. Invert the custard onto a dessert plate.
- Arrange the pineapple and pour coriander syrup over the top. Garnish with coriander flowers, coconut shards and freeze dried lychees and pomegranate seeds, if using.
Applicance Functions
Michael Meredith
Michael Meredith is an acclaimed chef and restaurateur based in New Zealand. Born in Samoa, his earliest food memories are of his mother's pancake stall at a local market in Apia. His latest restaurant, Metita, which opened in late 2023, is a tribute to his late mother and is located in Auckland's SkyCity precinct. The menu at Metita offers a contemporary take on Polynesian and Pacific cuisine, inspired by his childhood.
Throughout his career, Michael has been recognized for his inventive use of local and seasonal ingredients. He was the founding chef of The Grove in 2004, and later opened his own multi-award-winning restaurant, Merediths, which operated for a decade. He is also the owner of the Auckland eatery Mr Morris.
Beyond his restaurants, Meredith has been involved in charitable projects. He was a co-founder of Eat My Lunch, a social enterprise that helps provide lunches to underprivileged children in New Zealand. He also lends his culinary skills to other causes, such as raising money for the Starship Children's Hospital.