In Season: Marvelous mangoes

If you have a mango tree or two, chances are you’ve been serving mangoes at every meal and lugging bags of fruit to work.

By ROCHELLE KOFF
mango 311 (photo credit: MCT)
mango 311
(photo credit: MCT)
Like other brightly colored tropical fruits, mangoes are a nutritional powerhouse, with 100 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, one-third of the vitamin A and three grams of fiber in a 100-calorie, one-cup serving.
But most important, they are delicious.
Try them in these recommended recipes.
RICE WITH MANGO Makes 6 servings
Miami Herald columnist Maricel E. Presilla was inspired to create this riff on fried rice by an old expression.
“When we Cubans get ourselves into a complicated mess,” she wrote, “we say we are in an arroz con mango, literally ‘rice with mango.’”
✔ 2 medium mangoes (preferably half ripe) ✔ 1⁄4 cup soy sauce plus more to taste ✔ 2 Tbsp. Japanese brown rice vinegar or cider vinegar ✔ 1 tsp. aged rum ✔ 1 tsp. brown sugar ✔ 1 small chicken breast, diced ✔ 100 gr. turkey pastrami, diced (optional) ✔ 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil ✔ 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped ✔ 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped ✔ 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced ✔ 3 scallions including green stalks, finely chopped ✔ 5 medium shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, patted dry, stem removed and cut into 1-cm. dice ✔ 4 cups cooked white rice ✔ 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh coriander ✔ A 2-egg omelet, lightly salted and coarsely chopped ✔ 1⁄4 cup frozen or fresh peas Peel the mango and dice. Place in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the vinegar, rum and sugar. Add the chicken and turkey and toss to coat with the sauce. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
In a wok or 30-cm. skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it sizzles. Add the garlic and saute for 10 seconds. Add the onion, bell pepper, scallion and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken, turkey and sauce and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Add the rice, cilantro, diced omelet and peas and cook, stirring, with more soy sauce to taste or a bit of vinegar if needed, until all the ingredients are combined and the rice acquires a uniform tan color. Add diced mangoes and toss with the rice to combine.
CARIBBEAN BROWN STEW SNAPPER Makes 4 to 6 servings
✔ 700-800 gr. red snapper fillets (or similar fish) ✔ 1⁄2 cup fresh lime juice ✔ 3 Tbsp. Jamaican or other dark rum ✔ 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger ✔ 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ✔ 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil ✔ 1 large onion, sliced into rings ✔ 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour ✔ 2 Tbsp. tomato paste ✔ 1 green bell pepper, diced ✔ 11⁄2 cups fish stock or water ✔ 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped ✔ 1 ripe mango, peeled and cut 1 cm pieces ✔ Worcestershire sauce to taste Rinse the fish under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. If fillets are large, cut into serving-size pieces. Combine the lime juice, rum, ginger and garlic, and pour over the fish in a glass dish.
Refrigerate, covered for 2 to 3 hours.
When ready to cook, heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy, nonreactive (i.e., not cast iron or aluminum) skillet.
Drain the marinade and add fillets to the pan. Fry lightly on both sides until almost done. Remove fish from the pan and set aside.
Add onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the flour and let it brown slightly before adding the tomato paste and bell pepper. Slowly add the fish stock. Bring to a rolling boil and cook until gravy thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
Return fish to pan and add tomato and mango. Cook just until warmed through.
Season gravy to taste with Worcestershire sauce and serve immediately.
Source: Linda Cicero’s Cook’s Corner column.
FLEMING’S MANGO SALSA Makes 10 (12⁄ cup) servings
✔ 2 cups diced mango ✔ 2 cups diced fresh pineapple ✔ 1 cup diced red bell pepper ✔ 4 Tbsp. rice vinegar or white wine vinegar ✔ 2 Tbsp. minced fresh coriander ✔ 2 to 3 Tbsp. sugar (to taste) ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. crushed red chili pepper flakes Combine the ingredients in a glass bowl. Cover and set aside for 2 hours before using.
Source: Linda Cicero’s Cook’s Corner column.
VICTOR’S CAFE MANGO FLAN Makes 12 servings
For the caramel: ✔ 1⁄2 cup sugar ✔ 2 Tbsp. water For the flan: ✔ 500 gr. mango pulp (about 4 medium mangoes) ✔ 7 eggs ✔ 3 egg yolks ✔ 1 cup sweetened condensed milk ✔ 1 cup milk ✔ 1⁄2 cup sugar To make the caramel, mix the sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook on medium-high heat, stirring often, until mixture bubbles and turns a light caramel color. Pour into a 20x30-cm baking dish. Roll hot caramel around dish to coat bottom and sides. Set aside to cool.
Heat oven to 130º. Puree and strain the mango. Add the eggs, yolks, condensed and regular milks and sugar; blend thoroughly. Pour into caramelized baking dish. Place baking dish in a larger pan and pour hot water into the larger pan so it comes halfway up the sides of the smaller one. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Chill before inverting to serve.
Source: Linda Cicero’s Cook’s Corner column.
MANGO BUTTER Makes 412⁄ -pint jars
✔ 8 cups peeled and chopped ripe mango ✔ 3 cups brown sugar, packed ✔ 3 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger ✔ 1 tsp. grated fresh lime zest ✔ 1⁄2 cup fresh lime juice ✔ 1 tsp. cinnamon Place the mangoes in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until very soft. (Since mangoes are usually very juicy, you needn’t add any water unless the mixture starts to stick; then add up to 1⁄2 cup, a little at a time, as necessary.) When the mangoes are cooked, remove from heat and puree in a blender or food processor, working carefully in batches. Return puree to the pan and stir in sugar, ginger, lime zest, lime juice and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat, lower heat and cook, stirring often, until very thick, about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and immediately pour into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1.5 cm head space. Cap and process in a 10-minute boiling water bath.

MANGO-BLUEBERRY COBBLER Makes 6 servings
For the filling: ✔ 3 cups sliced, peeled mangoes ✔ 2 cups blueberries ✔ 1 Tbsp. lemon juice ✔ 1⁄3 cup sugar ✔ 2 tsp. cornstarch ✔ 2 tsp. ground cinnamon ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger For the topping: ✔ 1⁄2 cup flour ✔ 4 Tbsp. sugar, divided ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. baking powder ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger ✔ 1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided ✔ 1⁄4 tsp. baking soda ✔ Pinch salt ✔ 1⁄3 cup buttermilk Heat oven to 180º.
To make filling, mix mangoes, blueberries and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and ginger in a small bowl.
Sprinkle over fruit; toss to coat well.
Spoon into a 28x18-cm. baking dish coated with vegetable-oil spray.
For the topping, mix flour, 3 Tbsp.of the sugar, baking powder, ginger, 1⁄4 tsp. of the cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into 6 portions onto fruit mixture. Mix remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar and 1⁄4 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle over biscuits.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and topping is browned.
Serve warm.