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Mango: The King of Fruits Commands Respect

by MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

 

 

Why don't Americans eat more mangoes?

Often called the "king of fruits" elsewhere in the world, the mango is not high in calories, and it is an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamin A and potassium.

Now is the time to get acquainted with them: although they're in season from January to August, mangoes peak in May and June.

A ripe mango gives a bit when pressed, and its fragrance should be heady and sweet, particularly at the stem end. But if you can find only hard, green mangos, bring them home anyway - they will ripen at room temperature in a few days time. Put them in a paper bag with an apple to speed the process along.

To dice a mango, cut down the broad side of the fruit, slightly off center, from the stem end to the tip end. The knife should slide down against the flat side of the pit. Repeat on the other side, cutting as close to the pit as possible. Cut the flesh from the sides of the pit, following the curve of the pit.

Lay each half on your cutting surface and score with the tip of your knife in a crosshatch pattern, down to - but not through - the skin. Lift the mango half, and press on the skin with your thumbs to turn it inside out. Little squares of mango will pop out on the other side, and you can easily cut them away from the skin.

If you want to peel the mango before cutting, slice off a small piece of the end, stand the mango upright and peel down the sides using a paring knife, between the skin and the flesh, as you would a pineapple.

Strawberries in a Mango Sea

One summer I lived in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and I would gather mangos from the ground in a park where they dropped, ripe, all day long. If I had had a food processor or a blender, I would have made this every day.

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

 

Martha Rose Shulman is the author of "The Very Best of Recipes for Health."

[Courtesy: New York Times]

April 26, 2011

 

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