Only fresh coconuts contain enough liquid for this dish. Bring a bowl which can contain at least 2 pints and ask your supplier to empty in the coconut. Without this liquid, you can make the cock in water, but add 2 more tablespoons of grated coconut. Gently brown the pieces with the peanut oil in a frying pan. Put into the cooking casserole and fry the chopped onions. When starting to brown, add the coconut juice, curry powder, 2 teaspoons of coriander, ginger, crushed small chilis, 4 tablespoons grated coconut and as much peanut butter as suits your taste. Cover with boiling salted water. Cook, covered, over a low heat for 3 hours or more. Serve with Creole rice, slices of fried bananas and finely diced cucumbers or tomato flesh which is eaten to tone down the spices. Add green peppers in oil, yolks of hard-boiled eggs and toasted peanuts.
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1 cock, weighing about 5 1/2 lbs
1 coconut, to use its juice
3 1/2 oz coconut, grated
1 can peanut butter
3 tomatoes
3 onions
4 tbsp curry powder
1 glass peanut oil
coriander seeds
2 small chilis
2 tbsp powdered ginger or 1 fresh ginger root, grated
