EYE OF NEWT

The lychees and palm seeds are available in the Asian section of wellstocked supermarkets and Asian grocery stores, especially Thai or Vietnamese. The brand I used was Aroy-D.

Serves: 8

2 tbsp (30 mL) chia seeds

1 cup (250 mL) cold water 1/4 cup (60 mL) cold water

2 1/2 tsp (12.5 mL) gelatin

22 oz (620 mL) can lychees in syrup

1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice 22 oz (620 mL) can palm seeds in heavy syrup

1 dragon fruit

14 oz (400 mL) can coconut milk

1. Stir the chia seeds into the 1 cup (250 mL) cold water. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 2. Place the 1/4 cup (60 mL) cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften the gelatin. 3. Open the can of lychees and drain, reserving 1 1/4 cups (310 mL) of the juice.

4. Heat the juice until simmering in a small pot. Remove from the heat and stir in the softened gelatin until it dissolves.

5. Stir in the lime juice and pour into a shallow pan. Refrigerate overnight. Transfer the lychees to a storage container, cover and refrigerate.

6. To assemble, drain the can of palm seeds, reserving 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the syrup. Stir the syrup into the coconut milk.

7. Remove the gelatin from the fridge and mash it roughly with a fork. Peel and slice the dragon fruit into 1/4-inch (0.6 cm) slices.

8. Pour the sweetened coconut milk into a shallow, preferably dark coloured bowl.

9. Dot with the dragon fruit, lychees, gelatin, palm seeds and the chia seeds, making it look as horrible as you can. Serve with a smirk.