Sweet-potato hash with warm spices and freshly pickled Alphonso mango

(Pictured on previous page) Serves 2

Summer comfort in a pan, making use of the glut of intensely flavoured orangefleshed Alphonso mangoes that arrive at this time from India. A lovely brunch or light supper dish for two. You will need a 20cm nonstick frying pan.

For the pickle

— 2 tbsp cider vinegar

— 2 tbsp soft brown sugar — 1 ripe Alphonso mango,

flesh cut into 1cm cubes — 1 tsp nigella seeds

For the hash

— 2 medium-sized

sweet potatoes

— 30g butter, or as needed — 1 tbsp vegetable oil

— 2 banana shallots,

thinly sliced

— 1 tsp cumin seeds

— 1 tsp ground coriander — 3cm ginger root, grated — 1 garlic clove, chopped — 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, plus extra to serve

— 1 egg, beaten

— thick Greek yogurt,

to serve

— sliced green chilli,

to serve (optional)

To make the pickle, put the vinegar and sugar into a small pan and bring to simmering point. Cook to reduce to about two tablespoons of light syrup then remove from the heat.

Put the mango cubes in a bowl and pour over the syrup. Stir and add the nigella seeds, then set to one side.

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5.

Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthways and bake until softened. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes then scoop the flesh out of the skins and cut it into 2cm pieces. Set aside in a mixing bowl.

Melt the butter and oil in the non-stick pan over a low heat and add the shallots, cumin and ground coriander. Cook for about 10 minutes until the shallots are soft and turning pale gold. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for a minute then remove from the heat.

Allow the shallot mixture to cool for a few minutes then add to the sweet potato pieces along with the chopped coriander. Stir, then season and add the beaten egg. Stir well.

Add a little more butter to the pan, turn the hashed sweet potato and onion mixture into it and fry gently for about five minutes. Carefully lift the hash with a spatula to check that it is light golden underneath.

Place a plate over the pan then invert it and slide the hash from the plate back into the pan. Cook for another five minutes.

Serve a generous slice of the hash, with a spoonful of mango pickle, some yogurt on the side and – if you wish – the chilli slices scattered along with fresh coriander on top.