Hooray the mangoes have arrived
“even these mosquito bites will look like juicy, juicy mangoes”
One of my favourite lines from the film Bend it like Beckham (uttered by the dressmaker and directed at flat chested Jess who is being measured for a bridesmaid dress).
It’s juicy, juicy Alphonso mango season in India and Pakistan (both nationalities will tell you theirs are the best) and they are available in our Dubai shops either individually or in crates for 10 dirhams a kilo or less (that’s less than £2 /3 US$). Having bowlfuls of this exotic fruit in my house makes me think I’m in a Paul Gauguin painting (not topless I hasten to add).
These mangoes look like a Gauguin painting to me
Choosing a good mango is easy. Look for a firm, smooth, unbruised skin where the colour is more gold than green. Cup the mango gently in your hands and inhale. The honeyed, exotic scent will make you want to keep smelling it, but resist and get down to the business of eating. You can wait until they go completely orange but I like a little bit of tanginess in the taste to offset the nectar-like sweetness.
Now you could make a mango trifle or pavlova, a fruit salad with blueberries or even a mango smoothie – but my favourite way is to cut off the cheeks, criss cross the flesh, turn each half inside out, squeeze on some fresh lime juice and eat with a teaspoon. Less a recipe more a way of life. Really sorry if it isn’t mango season where you live (but believe me I envy you asparagus eaters).
Cut, carve, flip, douse in lime and eat (remember to wipe your chin)
Not wanting to gild the lily too much I offer you this simple pud – again more of an idea than a recipe.
Grilled mango with margarita cream (oh yes – this recipe again because it’s so divine)
1, Cut the cheeks off the mango with a sharp knife following closely to each side of the stone. You can take the peel off the stone portion and nibble the sweet flesh – a cook’s perk. You will have to floss afterwards but it’ll be worth it. You know that saying the nearer the bone the sweeter the meat? Well this applies to mango flesh and stones too.
2. Brush the surface of the mango with a little lime juice. Heat a griddle pan until very hot and place the mango piece, flesh-side down, onto the pan. Leave for about 3 minutes until the flesh in warm and slightly caramalised in the places the bars of the griddle touched it.
3. Place on a plate with a dollop of magarita cream with a little more lime juice added than normal (taste to check the flavour).
There are loads more ideas for produce in season now collected by my new favourite foodie Ren on Fabulicious Food. What’s seasonal in your part of the world right now and what do you look forward to coming available most?
Trackbacks
Comments are closed.
My Custard Pie 
Hey Sally- where did you find such beauties and at that price too?! I bought some for a mango cake a few weeks ago and they were awful- tasteless! 😦
Choitrams but I’m going down to Union Co-op for a crate. Alphonsos have only just hit the shelves. Hooray.
Mango cake sounds very interesting.
I got my Alphonso’s at Lulu’s Al Ghusais. They’re cheap and so delicious! I had a mango-Greek yoghurt smoothie for breakfast today!
Grace – Good idea – might sneak in a Barsha Lulu’s visit today. Sid miss the sound of your laugh so glad to receive a virtual one!
Hahahha that line was the first thing I thought of when I read your post title! What a unique recipe!
Just bought a kilo at Sharjah Market yesterday. I have to try enjoying the mangoes the way you do
Be it an idea of a recipe, its brilliant.
🙂 Mandy
Oh, lucky, lucky. Alphonso mangoes are simply THE BEST. That IS the best line.
Your photos are awesome Sally. The mangoes do indeed look very lush and tasty and I’d love to try that Margarita cream. Link up to my Simple and in Season? – its not UK only – its lovely to know what’s in season in other parts of the world! x
Linked Ren – some exotic produce in amongst the asparagus!
Thanks Sally so much for linking!!!
that line! hahahahah…my sister was just quoting it over our batch of mangoes the other day! Love your style of writing in this blog, really made me smile to see all those fun parts of mango eating – the criss-crossing, the wiping your chin, holding and just inhaling – so beautifully captured!
Oh yummy!
Oh yum. So- make you a deal… I’ll keep eating asparagus for you, if you consume insane quantities of mango in my stead …please? One of my absolute favorite fruits, and not so easy to get good ones here in CO, as you can imagine.
Sally that is a feast – grilled mangoes accompanied with limes! Heaven and simplicity on a plate!
Aren’t they LOVELY … just finished off my nightly quota of mangoes ! who needs ice-creams or any other processed desserts when we have this 😀
I never thought to grill them – and I’ve never heard the sides referred to as ‘cheeks’. I love that! XOL
I really want one of them mango’s!! I bet once they come off the grill, they are so juicy and with that flavouring of lime – mmmmmm.
And the sound of that cream – heavenly!
Wonderful. I love mango and am also doing a mango post for Ren’s simple and in season challenge this evening!!