Coconut

Pierce two of the three soft “eyes” with a clean skewer and drain the water. Wrap the coconut in a tea towel, then tap firmly around its middle with a hammer until the shell cracks; prise it apart and lift out the flesh with a sturdy knife.

Choose one that feels heavy for its size, with no cracks or damp patches. Shake it: you should hear liquid moving inside, and the eyes should be dry and free of mould.

Keep the flesh in an airtight container in the fridge and use it within a few days. For longer storage, freeze it in pieces or grated; it can go straight from the freezer into cooking.

Spread it in a thin layer on a baking tray and bake at 160 °C for about 5–8 minutes, stirring once. Take it out as soon as it turns pale golden, since it continues to brown quickly.

Grate it into coconut chutney, stir it through fish or vegetable curries, or use it in cakes and coconut macaroons. Fresh shavings also add a crisp finish to porridge, fruit and yoghurt.

Not as a direct replacement: coconut milk is liquid and much lower in fibre, while the flesh gives dishes a chewy texture. Use coconut milk for a curry sauce, and grated flesh when a recipe needs body or a topping.

Coconut is botanically a drupe, a fruit with a hard inner shell around its seed, rather than a true nut. It is often grouped with nuts in cooking, but that botanical distinction does not by itself determine whether someone with a food allergy can eat it.