Celebrate mango season by tossing some on a savoury flatbread
Mango season is upon us as South Asian grocers across the GTA are filled with fragrant boxes of kesars, alphonsos and chaunsas.
For some of the best selections in the city, head to places such as Kohinoor Foods in Little India or Sunny Foodmart just south of the Ontario Science Centre in North York.
Ripe mangos should have a deep orange colour with a few black marks on the skin, and are slightly soft to the touch, with a strong mango aroma when held to the nose.
While nothing beats peeling away at a mango with your hands and eating it over the sink, here’s an easy and tasty savoury application for mangos: use it as a topping for flatbreads.
This works especially well if you have a mango that’s just shy of being ripe (we’ve all sliced into a mango and realized it still needs a few more days to ripen).
The tart and slightly sour fruitiness of mango goes surprisingly well with the savoury, herbal and slightly garlicky flavour of pesto. I added chicken to add heft to the meal, but for a meat-free option, I’d substitute it with seared tempeh or firm tofu. You can use readymade pestos, but I find the homemade version is always much better and has a much fresher flavour, especially with fresh basil being abundant right now.
Packaged flatbreads are found next to the bags of sliced bread in the bakery section of the supermarket and will have instructions on how to reheat them. Typically it involves preheating the oven just over 400 F (205 C) and putting the flatbread directly on the rack for 8 to 10 minutes.
Be careful when moving the flatbread so the toppings don’t fall everywhere.
Any leftover flatbreads work perfectly as a packed lunch for the next day.
Pesto, Mango and Chicken Flatbread
Star Tested For the pesto 2 cups (500 mL) fresh basil leaves, packed 1/3 cup (80 mL) pine nuts 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan 3 finely minced garlic cloves 1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste In a blender or food processor, pulse basil and pine nuts until finely chopped. Add Parmesan and garlic. Pulse a few times more. While blender or food processor running, add oil in a slow and steady stream to allow everything to emulsify, occasionally scraping down sides. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.
Makes 1 cup of pesto. For the flatbread 1 packaged cooked flatbread or Pesto, chicken and mango go great together on flatbread. pizza crust 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast 1/4 cup (60 mL) pesto, plus more as needed
1 mango, peeled, seeded and cut into slices Chili flakes, to taste Salt and pepper, to taste Grated Parmesan, for garnish Arrange lower rack and preheat oven to package instructions.
While oven is preheating, in a skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken. Cover and let cook until browned and fully cooked, about 5 minutes per side.
Remove from heat and let chicken rest for 5 minutes before shredding into small, bite-sized pieces.
Spread pesto on to flatbread with back of spoon. Sprinkle sliced mango and chicken on top. Season with chili flakes, salt, pepper and Parmesan.
Transfer flatbread to oven. Bake according to package instructions.
For a crispier crust, bake directly on rack. For a chewier crust, bake on a baking sheet. Remove from oven and slice into squares. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving.