Brown-Butter Coconut Chin Chin with Orange Zest
Chin chin taken up a notch: nutty browned butter, toasted coconut, coconut milk and fresh orange zest in a crisp, deeply aromatic dough cut into neat diamonds.
Method
Melt the butter in a 16 cm light-coloured pan on medium-low heat and let it bubble for , swirling, until it smells nutty and the milk solids at the bottom turn hazelnut brown. Pour it into a bowl straight away, scraping in the brown bits, and chill for about 15 minutes until firm but not hard.
Add in this stepButter 30 g
medium-low heatToast the coconut in a dry pan on medium-low heat for , stirring constantly, until light golden and fragrant. Tip onto a plate to cool; it burns quickly once it starts to colour.
Add in this stepDesiccated coconut 15 g
medium-low heatIn a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, toasted coconut and finely grated orange zest (only the orange part; the white pith is bitter).
Add in this stepPlain (all-purpose) flour 120 gCaster sugar 30 gBaking powder ¼ tspFreshly grated nutmeg 1 pinchSalt 1 pinchOrange (zest only) ½
Rub the firm brown butter into the flour mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg, coconut milk and vanilla and knead for into a smooth, firm dough. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes; cold dough cuts more cleanly.
Add in this stepBeaten egg (1 large egg ≈ 50 g) 50 gCoconut milk 25 mlVanilla extract ½ tsp
Roll the dough on a floured surface into a sheet of about 30×20 cm and 4 mm thick. Cut into 1.5 cm strips, then cut across on the diagonal to make small diamonds. Spread them out on a floured tray.
Pour the oil into a 18 cm heavy pot at least 4 cm deep (no more than half full) and heat on medium heat for about , to 165 °C, slightly cooler than usual, because sugar and coconut brown quickly.
Add in this stepVegetable oil for deep-frying 600 ml
medium heatFry the diamonds in 2 batch(es) for each on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until evenly golden; take them out a shade lighter than you want. Keep the oil between 160 and 165 °C. Never leave hot oil unattended.
medium-low heatDrain and spread on kitchen paper to cool completely for , until crisp. Store airtight for up to 10 days.
Cook's tip
Watch the butter closely: it goes from brown to burnt in seconds, so take it off the heat as soon as it smells like toasted nuts. If the dough feels greasy, chill it a little longer. A pinch of flaky salt tossed over the warm chin chin makes the flavours pop.
Cooking it at camp
Make these at home; they travel well in a tin and keep their crunch for days. They are a great snack with coffee by the fire.