Today’s post is a shout out to the mango, and to our favorite chefs! Even if you’ve yawned with boredom over the plain fruit, often times mango combined with other ingredients (such as citrus or spices) creates exotic flavor combinations that will amuse your palate in surprisingly delicious ways. In addition to being a catalyst to mouth watering greatness, here’s another reason to indulge: Just one cup of mango offers 80% of Vitamin C and 25% of Vitamin A, as well as 3 grams of fiber. Here are some other mango fast facts you may not know:

• Mango trees need a tropical, frost free environment to thrive.  Here in the US most of our mangos come from California, Florida, and Hawaii, and are of the Keitt variety, which remains green even when ripe.  There are 5 other main varieties, that typically come from Central and South America.
• A ripe mango is slightly soft to the touch, similar to a ripe peach.  You can purchase firmer, unripe mangos, but store them at room temperature for a few days until ripe, or put them in a paper bag to hasten the ripening.  Only refrigerate ripe mangos.
• Don’t discrimate by color!  Some mangos are green, some yellow, and some have a blush hue depending on variety.  Use the above tip to determine ripeness, regardless of color.
• There are several ways to cut a mango, and the National Mango Board has some great cutting tips including a video here.

Chef Merrick Schoenfeld

On to the recipes! First up, Chef Merrick Schoenfeld. Merrick is a personal friend and an insanely talented chef.  In the US, he has worked for several celebrity musicians such as Beyonce, Morrissey, and Eddie Vedder.  Currently he is the executive chef of Pura Suerte on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, a 40 acre organic farm with community garden and educational center, bamboo cabins, and restaurant.  He has authored the cookbook Jungle Fusion, simple yet exotic recipes featuring fresh tropical fruits and vegetables.  Here is favorite mango delight!

Caramelized Mango Pie

1 large flaky pie shell, cooked until golden, allow to cool
4 cups ripe, but not over ripe mangos, cut into med. sized cubes
1 vanilla bean, split, remove and reserve the seeds
4-5 T. water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups sweet whipped cream

Making sure the mangos are free of excess water, put them in a bowl with the vanilla seeds and using a large spoon carefully coat the mangos with the vanilla. Set aside. Place the water and sugar and the cinnamon stick in a large soup pot. Bring to boil and watch as liquid caramelized after a few minutes. This is kind of tricky and you can’t waste any time, but you must pour the mangos into the sugar mixture as soon as it becomes caramel in color. Stir well with a spoon and coat all the mangos. Immediately remove from heat and put the mangos onto a sheet pan to cool. They should not be cooked from the heat of the pan. You want them still fresh and firm. You are just looking to coat them in stringy, crunchy caramelized sugar.
Place the sheet pan of mangos into the refrigerator to cool.
When they are cold, fill your pie crust with the caramelized mangos including any liquid, remove the cinnamon stick. Allow the mangos to rest in the shell for a 1/2 hour and then top with cold sweet whipped cream and serve.

Chef Becky Selengut

Becky Selengut is a Seattle private chef, author, instructor, and blogger of Chef Reinvented.   She offered her recipe for Mango “Potluck Crack”, how could we refuse that?!   This spicy sweet and sour mango salad turned her friends into addicts!

Mango Salad With Tofu, Herbs And Sweet Chile Sauce

1 cup Coconut, Unsweetened, Flaked — reserve small amount for garnish
1 pound Tofu, Baked, cut into small cubes
1 Mango — peeled, cut into small dice (can use an under ripe or ripe mango)
½ cup Basil — rough chopped
1 tbsp Mint — rough chopped
½ cup Cilantro — rough chopped
½ cup Peanuts, Roasted, Salted — chopped
1 cup Cucumber — medium diced
1 Lime — zested, plus juice
1 cup Thai sweet chile sauce
Lettuce cups, Rice crackers or Shrimp Chips — to serve salad on

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, toast coconut until lightly brown. In a large bowl, add tofu, mango, herbs, peanuts, toasted coconut, cucumber, lime zest and juice and 1/2 C sweet chile sauce. Toss tofu into bowl and mix everything together well. Taste and add salt if needed. Add more sweet chile sauce to your liking. Garnish with coconut flakes. Serve with lettuce cups, rice crackers, or shrimp chips.

Chef Christoper Cina

Denver chef Christopher Cina joined in as well, sharing a Cuban Mango Habanero Mojo recipe.  He told us “A mojo is a Cuban sauce/marinade consisting primarily of citrus, usually sour orange and garlic with the addition of many different types of seasonings and spices. Use for marinating pork, chicken and seafood and finishing as a sauce. It is also traditionally served over potatoes as a condiment. This version is a little sweeter and a little spicier. It works great for grilled chicken and fish and roast pork, and can also be used as a dip for breads, especially a good chewy sourdough.” Thank you chef Christopher!

Mango Habanero Mojo

1# mangos (approximately3 each) peeled and deseeded
2 oz whole garlic cloves
½ habanero, you can use more if your brave
¾ cup sour orange juice ( you can substitute ½ cup orange juice and ¼ cup lime huice)
1 ½ tspn. Ground cumin seed, toasted
4 oz. champagne vinegar
4 oz. extra virgin olive oil
1 tspn kosher salt

1. Combine all in a blender except for the oil and salt and puree until smooth.
2. While the blender is spinning on low speed, slowly add the olive oil until fully incorporated.
3. Add the salt
4. Adjust seasonings as you need.

Chef Neal Foley

And last but not least is Chef Neal Foley, aka @podchef, the hardest working chef farmer and sustainability advocate in show business!

Neal is the host of the podcast and youtube channel “Gastrocast” a cooking show about food, farming, and the politics of what we eat.  Burly as he sounds, he actually makes cookies!  Here is his recipe for White Chocolate Macadamia Mango Cookies, gracias amigo.

Mangoed out yet?  Here are more of our favorite chef recipes featuring mangos, enjoy!

• Silken Tofu Mango Almond Pecan Walnut Parfait from Chef Yolanda Hawthorne of the Sports Club in DC
• Shrimp with Mango Sauce from Chef Arlene Weston of Maroons in NYC
• Chef John from Food Wishes goes Thai!  A Mango Dessert with Coconut Sticky Rice
• Trout with Mango Salsa from Chef Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans
• Cheese Stuffed Poblano’s in a Tomato Mango Sauce , a family recipe from the late Chef Juan Diego Michel
• Cat Cora’s Spicy Chicken and Mango Stir Fry
• Mayan Papaya and Mango Smoothie from Chef Josu Cime of the Hacienda Chichen Resort
• Top Chef Master Michael Chiarello’s Mango Margaritas ,Grilled Mangos with Herbs, and Mango Fondue
• Top Chef Hosea Rosenberg’s Asian Seafood Stew with Mangos and Ginger
• Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Lime Scented Poppy Seed Rice Pudding with Mango

Win 2 boxes of delicious mangos, by entering the Mango Leftover Recipe Challenge here.