The Captain's Table

Tales and recipes from my kitchen.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Back to the Farm

I watched closely when the Vietnamese fruit shake lady was working her magic the other day. This is a close guess at her recipe for thick, smooth, rich fruit shakes that pair well with a crisp, tangy, savory sandwich. The fruit can be just about anything, just adjust the sugar and milk to make up for sweetness and moisture. Think tropical: avocado, mango, papaya, banana, and especially today, durian!

Tropical Fruit Shake

2 T sweetened condensed milk
2 T sugar
1/2 c fruit pulp
1/2 c milk
1/2 c crushed ice

Whirl the first four ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add the crushed ice and whirl again until the shake is thick, rich, smooth and tasty.

The durian shake I made this morning had a faint odor of the pig farm, but it tasted amazing. It was like a cup of vanilla pudding crossed with a really ripe banana, with a hint of mango thrown in; awesome. And the single 4.5 lb fruit I bought is probably good for 8-10 shakes, though I ate a good bit of the pulp as I was digging it out.