Refreshing Mango Mint Lassi
Did you know that mangoes are grown in Texas’ lower Rio Grande Valley?
The English word “mango” probably originated from Tamil mangai or Malayalam manga via Portuguese (also manga). The word’s first recorded attestation in a European language was a text by Ludovico di Varthema in Italian in 1510, as manga; the first recorded occurrences in languages such as French and post-classical Latin appear to be translations from this Italian text. The origin of the “-o” ending in English is unclear.
When mangoes were first imported to the American colonies in the 17th century, they had to be pickled due to lack of refrigeration. Other fruits were also pickled and came to be called “mangoes” (especially bell peppers), and by the 18th century, the word “mango” became a verb meaning “to pickle”. –Wikipedia
Refreshing Mango Mint Lassi
flesh of 1 large, fresh mango
1/3 cup farm-fresh milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons raw, organic palm sugar
pinch of sea salt
4 ice cubes
Toss it all in the blender and give it a few whirls..
The "hedgehog" style is a common way of eating mangoes (left). A cross section of a mango can be seen on the right, not quite fully halving the fruit as the large stone is not visible
Smoked Duck Gorditas with Fresh Mango Salsa
Smoked duck breast is shredded and slowly simmered in stock with crushed chipotle en adobo, toasted coriander and Mexican oregano, then tucked inside flaky homemade gorditas (thick corn tortillas) and dressed with fresh mango salsa and crispy fried duck skin..
Smoked Duck Gorditas with Fresh Mango Salsa
For the Salsa
1 fresh mango, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 ripe tomato, cored and diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 green jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon sparkling water
1 teaspoon piloncillo or palm sugar
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and refrigerate 1 hour.
For the Duck
1 large smoked duck breast
1 1/2 cups rich chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons crushed chipotle en adobo
1 tablespoon raw cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon toasted coriander, ground
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Remove the skin and fat and reserve. Working parallel to the grain, tear the duck into thin strips, then place into a heavy pot. Cover with stock and bring to a slow simmer. Add chipotle, vinegar, oregano and coriander and slowly simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1/2 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm.
For the Crispy Duck Skin and Rendered Fat
Pull the skin and fat from a duck breast and lay it flat on the comal over medium heat, weighing it flat with a bacon press or another smaller skillet. Cook until all the fat has rendered and the skin is crispy on both sides. Transfer to skin to a cutting board and chop into something resembling crumbled bacon, reserving the fat for frying the gorditas.
For the Gorditas
3/4 cup organic masa harina (fine corn flour)
2 tablespoons organic, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup warm, filtered water
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
3 tablespoons rendered duck fat
Heat a comal or iron skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the masa and water into a soft dough. Knead in the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper, adding a few drops of water if needed to maintain consistency. Divide dough into 4 balls and cover with a damp kitchen towel.
Use a tortilla press or rolling pin to shape dough into 4-inch rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Slide a thin-bladed spatula under each gordita, carefully flipping one-at-a-time onto your open palm before laying onto the hot comal. Cook for a minute or so on each side (they will be slightly crisp but underdone), then transfer to a plate.
To prepare
Just before service, melt the duck fat in the comal, then fry each gordita until golden brown and puffy (ideally, the gorditas will be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside). Transfer gorditas to a cutting board, then use a thin knife to cut a sideways slit about 1/2 way across.
Fill each gordita with shredded duck, dress with salsa and crumbled duck skin and serve hot.
This post is part of The Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday!
This post is part of The Healthy Home Economist’s Monday Mania!
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Pan-Seared, Pole-Caught Maguro with Habanero Mango Sauce
Pole-and-line-caught US Atlantic yellowfin tuna is quickly seared in ginger and lemongrass-infused coconut oil and served with a fresh habanero mango sauce..
Pan-Seared, Pole-Caught Maguro with Habanero Mango Sauce
Infused oil
3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon freshly-grated ginger
1 6″ piece fresh lemongrass, split
2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro
1/2 fresh habanero, stemmed and seeded
Melt coconut oil over medium heat until very hot but not smoking . Add ginger, lemongrass, cilantro and chile, remove from heat and allow to steep 20 minutes. Discard lemongrass.
Mango Sauce
1 fresh mango, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed Mayer lemon juice
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
the ginger, cilantro and chile from above recipe
1 tablespoon infused oil from above recipe
filtered water
sea salt
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth, adding water as needed to achieve a spoon-able consistency. Adjust for salt and chill until ready to serve.
Seared Tuna
very fresh tuna steaks, about 1 inch thick
2 tablespoons infused oil from above recipe
sea salt
freshly-ground red and black peppercorns
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes. Coat tuna with infused oil and season with salt and pepper. Sear about 1 minute per side for rare, then transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes before carving into 3/8 inch thick slices. Spoon mango sauce into the center of a plate and arrange tuna on top. Garnish as you like.
Thai Spiced Mango Tapioca Pudding
Fresh ginger, Thai basil, kaffir lime, lemongrass, fresh mango, tapioca, cream, coconut milk and cayenne..
Thai Spiced Mango Tapioca Pudding
Thai Spiced Mango Tapioca Pudding (adapted from a recipe by Elizabeth Falkner)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 tablespoon fresh galangal, peeled and sliced
4 Thai basil leaves
2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro
1-2 small kaffir lime leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemongrass, sliced
1 cup filtered water
1/2 cup fresh cream
1/4 cup organic palm sugar
1/3 cup Bot Bang (Thai pearl tapioca)
1/2 cup heavy coconut milk
1 small fresh mango, diced
cayenne pepper
Combine ginger, galangal, basil, cilantro, lime leaves and lemongrass in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3-4 times. Transfer to a heavy saucepan and add 1 cup cold water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Strain liquid into another heavy saucepan, pressing on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to release as much liquid as possible.
Add cream and sugar to the decoction and bring to a boil. Stir in tapioca, reduce heat and simmer, stirring often until reduced in volume by about a third, about 1/2 hour.
Stir in mango, cover and allow to cool 10 minutes.
To serve, spoon pudding into a glass or shallow plate and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Garnish with basil and crystallized ginger.
Mango Mole (Sauce)
Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit magazine (via Edible Therapy), this complex sauce is fantastic with pickled red onions and grilled pork chops..
Making Mango Mole
2 tablespoons leaf lard or other fat
1 large plantain, sliced
1 cup fresh diced mango
2 large dried Guajillo or Ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
1/2 cup chopped white onion
12 whole raw almonds
1 tablespoon homemade chili base
2 tablespoons shelled peanuts
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 small bay leaf
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
1 teaspoon true cinnamon shards
2 cups homemade chicken stock, more or less
1 small piece Mexican chocolate
Heat the fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add plantains, chili base and everything else except stock and chocolate. Sauté until plantain is soft, about 5 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock. Reduce heat and simmer until chilies are tender, about 15 minutes.
Puree sauce in blender then return to skillet.
Add chocolate and stir until incorporated. Thin with reserved stock if necessary, then season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
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- Making Mango Mole
Grilled Mango Salad with Aji Mirasol Bacon Dressing
Fresh ripe mangoes, avocados and an aji mirasol-infused balsamic bacon dressing over watercress and field greens..
Grilled Mango Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
Wash and dry field greens, watercress and fresh herbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Fry cubes of uncured, pastured bacon and chopped red onions until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.
Add white balsamic vinegar and 1 small aji mirasol pepper (mild chile and apricot-like flavor) and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Adjust sharpness with a spoonful of raw honey, but don’t make it particularly sweet. Add the bacon and onions and keep warm.
Split and score a ripe mango. Push up from the bottom so that the sections pull apart, dress with coconut oil (unctuous and high-heat stable) and season with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper.
Grill the mango halves flesh side down until caramelized, about 5 minutes depending on heat source.
Arrange warm grilled mango over crisp greens. Dress with hot bacon dressing and garnish with avocado slices and quartered grape tomatoes.
