Growing up in Missouri (Beth) and North Carolina (Lindsey), neither of us ate a lot of exotic fruits as kids. Apples, oranges, grapes, and bananas were staples, but things like lychees and passion fruit never even graced our local grocery stores, let alone our kitchens. In fact, Beth is pretty sure she never even ate an avocado until she was in college.
Maybe that’s why we’re such big fans of mangoes. With their multicolored skins that look like something out of a Renoir watercolor, and their juicy, sunset-yellow interior, they make apples and pears look about as appealing at plastic fruit. We love to eat mangoes straight, but we also love them in smoothies with bananas and pineapple chunks, in salsas with red onion, cilantro, avocado, and jicama, and in all kinds of salads. And we jump at any recipe that gives us a chance to try them with other foods, so we were thrilled to see them featured in an article in the New York Times today. Not only did we learn that they’re often referred to as the “king of fruits” in other parts of the world (who knew?), but we also learned yet another awesome mango recipe that we can’t wait to try.
The name of the dish sounds like something out of a 1950s Tiki-bar cookbook, but don’t let that turn you off. The ingredients are fresh, the process is simple, and the final product sounds absolutely delicious.
Strawberries in a Mango Sea (from the New York Times Health and Nutrition section, April 25, 2011)
2 large or 4 smaller ripe mangos
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 pints ripe, sweet strawberries, hulled and quartered
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
1. Peel and pit the mangos: cut down the broad side of the fruit from stem end to tip end, slightly off center, with the knife following the edge of the pit. Cut down the other side of the fruit in the same way. Cut the flesh from the sides of the pit, cutting as close to the pit as possible. Lay each half, skin side down, on your cutting surface and score with the tip of your knife in a crosshatch pattern, down to — but not through — the skin. Lift each mango half, and press on the skin with your thumbs to turn the half inside out. Slice the cubes away from the skin. Repeat with the other half. Cut the strips from the sides away from the skin. Discard the skins.
2. Place the mango in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add half the lime juice and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Puree until smooth. Scrape into a bowl, and set aside. You should have about 2 cups puree.
3. Toss the strawberries with the remaining lime juice and sugar, and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes, in or out of the refrigerator.
4. Spoon about 1/4 cup of mango puree onto each dessert plate or into wide dessert bowls. Place a spoonful of strawberries, with juice, in the middle. Garnish with mint and serve.
Yield: Serves eight.
Advance preparation: The mango puree will keep for a day in the refrigerator.
Nutritional information per serving: 80 calories; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 20 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein
