Palm Nut Cream Extract (Gabon/DRC - Nyembwe base)

Name: Palm Nut Cream Extract (Gabon/DRC - Nyembwe base)
Cuisine: Kenya
Ingredients: 2kg Fresh palm fruits (from oil palm); warm for extraction Water

A recipe from Kenya.

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Palm Nut Cream Extract (Gabon/DRC - Nyembwe base)

Nutrition (per serving)

250Calories

3 gProtein

5 gSugar

10 mgSalt

Ingredients

2kg Fresh palm fruits (from oil palm)
warm for extraction Water

Method

Rinse the palm fruits thoroughly to remove dirt—use ripe red ones for best flavor (avoid green or overripe black).
Place fruits in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat for 30-60 minutes until the flesh softens and starts to separate from the nuts (test by squeezing).
Drain the hot fruits (wear gloves to avoid burns), transfer to a mortar or large bowl, and pound with a pestle or wooden spoon for 15-20 minutes until the pulp is mashed and the nuts crack open—don't crush the nuts completely.
Add warm water gradually (about 1L at a time) while pounding to help separate the cream; continue until the mixture is pulpy and the cream floats.
Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl, squeezing the pulp to extract as much reddish-orange cream as possible—discard fibers and nuts (or save nuts for oil).
Let the extract settle for 10 minutes; skim off the thick cream layer on top—this is the palm nut cream (nyembwe). Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes to concentrate if needed.
Store in fridge up to 1 week or freeze—base for Moambe stews; yields about 500-800ml cream.