It’s coming…ripe and sweet!
Hi Everyone,
The season for huge, fist-sized, yellow to orange flesh, fragrant, juicy, sweet mangoes, will soon be upon us. The trees across the island are in varying stages – some full of blossoms, some densely populated with young fruit and others with branches bowing with the weight of those signalling that they will soon be ready to be picked. It’s coming, mango season, and I can’t wait for it to get here.
I can’t wait to hold my first mango of the season – firm, ripe, and sweet smelling, cupped in the palm of my hand. How shall I have my first taste of the season? Should I roll the mango to soften the flesh, make a small bite at the opposite end of the stem and suck on it? Should I tear the skin with my teeth and bite into the flesh, the juices running down the sides of my chin? Should I make deep slices of the sides dividing the mango into three pieces, scraping the flesh with my teeth with the skin intact? Leaving the seed with its surrounding band of flesh for last? Very important decisions to be made.
I am looking forward to late, long, sunny weekend afternoons with fruity, boozy mango drinks, morning breakfast and afternoon snacking of a bowl full of ripe mangoes, sometimes with a light sprinkling of flaked sea salt to dance on my tongue. Perhaps I will drizzle a few slices with Kecap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) with its complex caramelized flavour. Yes (said in whisper). Juice-stained hands and t-shirts – I’m looking forward to those too.
In terms of cooking – rice pudding (sweet rice) with fresh mango sauce; I am looking forward to experimenting by making a mango-mustard sauce to drizzle over roast meats, and grilled seafood. I bet it would work as a creamy salad dressing too. Watch this space. Oh, how about a flat bread or pizza topped with fresh chopped mangoes, sharp aged cheese, and a sprinkling of pepper flakes for heat? You feeling me? I’m also thinking of making a tart using the fresh fruit, have to figure out what I want to use for the base filling (apart from the pastry), that will complement the mangoes. Got any ideas? Drop me a line and let me know. If used, full credit will be given.
Of course there will be the usual things – mango ice cream, mango sorbet, mango drink, popsicles, salsa, salads (sweet and savoury). It will also be a good time to stock up on mango puree so that you can have for use outside of the season. To make the puree, simply peel and remove all of the flesh of the mango, puree in a blender, portion out in muffin tins, popsicle moulds or ice trays, freeze, and then store in a freezer container or bag. I generally do this towards the end of the season when I have had my fill of mangoes.
As much as I love mangoes, I cannot eat them cooked as in quick breads, scones, cakes, as jam etc. I find it totally unappealing and can’t stand the flavour and texture of cooked mango. Apart from achar, sour, or fresh mango chutney, the only other way that I eat mango cooked is in the style of Bengali mango chaatni. This type of chaatni (which means ‘to lick’) is not a condiment and is therefore never eaten on the side with your food. It is a stand-alone dish served as one of the courses towards the end of a multi-course traditional Bengali meal. This type of chaatni is in the syrup course and is served just before dessert acting as a palate cleanser. Though the chaatni is made with other fresh fruits such as tamarind and tomatoes, mangoes are a very popular choice.
The first time I made the chutney was a little over 3 years ago. My sister and nephew were visiting. From a trip driving through the countryside of Barbados we returned home with a couple of bags full of mangoes. The chaatni was sweet, tart and spicy, just as it should be. It was the first time we had ever eaten that type of chutney and we couldn’t seem to get enough. We almost ate the entire lot, it was that good, addictively so. It also stood up to its name – chaatni, ‘to lick’. We could not stop licking our fingers and wiping our bowls clean, only to replenish them a few minutes later. Try it and let me know what you think.
Mango season. It’s coming, soon!
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org www.tasteslikehome.org For this recipe you need to work with turning mangoes and half ripe mangoes so you get the hit of tartness and the natural sweetness of the mango. The state of the mangoes is also important to hold up to the cooking process and provide the necessary texture when cooked.
Ingredients • 3 turning mangoes • 3 half ripe, firm mangoes • 1 ½ tablespoons oil