Provincetown Portuguese Cookbook

Doces

Rolled Cookies | Rocks | Sweet Potato Pastries | Egg Cookies | Sighs | Mariana's Tea Biscuits | Sherried Cookies | Egg Cake | Russian Tea Cakes | Andrew's Fudgies | Molasses Cookies | Brigadiers | Torta de Viana | Honey Bread | Crème Caramel à la Portugaise | Port Flan | Maria's Portuguese Sweet Rice Pudding | Del's Sweet Rice Pudding | Brazilian Fresh Corn Pudding | Almond Tart | Joyce's Choice Cheesecake | Milk Sweet

Curau

Sylvia Matos Newman

10 medium sized ears of corn, husked and washed

2 quarts of milk

11/2 cups sugar

1 pinch salt

1 cup coconut milk

2 tbsp. butter

Cinnamon to taste

Grate the ears of corn inside a large bowl using a cheese grater. Be sure to get as much as possible out of each ear. Mix the milk with the corn. Dip the scraped husks into the milk and use a paring knife to squeeze as much corn starch out of the corn husks as possible.

With a strainer or cheesecloth, strain the liquid from the grated corn. Save the kernels and use them in corn bread or add them to a soup.

In a large, heavy sauce pan, add sugar to the corn liquid and start cooking over medium heat until it starts to thicken. Add the coconut milk. Stir constantly until it starts to thicken. Continue to cook and test for doneness by dropping a 1/2 teaspoonful onto a plate. When it has the consistency of Jell-O, it is done. Stir in the butter and mix well.

Pour into an 8" or 9" pie plate and sprinkle with cinnamon. Refrigerate.

Serves 8.