Mangoes and Cream

Now that strawberry season is past, I need a new excuse to eat whipped cream.  It's not Thanksgiving yet, so pumpkin pie is not an option, and it's too warm out for hot chocolate.  So mangoes on sale at Farmboy beware, I am going to buy you all and eat you, but first, I will drown you in dairy fat.  But that will only be at the end, first I will chop you, salt you and douse you with acid.  Before I scare people off, I should clarify; I have recently discovered the best way to eat a mango is diced and mixed with a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lime juice and a nice bit of whipped cream on top.  Many bloggers out on the interweb have mentioned salted mango as their favourite summer treat.  I was unaware salted mango was a specialty of sorts, but seeing as I up the salt in most of my baking and generally love the contrast of sweet and salty, I thought it was worth a try.



Salted Mangoes with Lime and Cream
for as many as you like

1 mango per person
1/4 cup whipping cream per person
1/4 lime (zest and juice) per person
pinch of salt

1 Zest your lime, it is easier if it is whole so either make it for a group or just use a bit of zest and don't worry TOO much about wasting the rest
2  Peel your mango- the only reason I wrote this out in recipe form was so I could describe my handy dandy way.  I nick the skin with a sharp knife and then peel it away by hand, I find this results in less waste left on the skin.  Then, I cut the two sides off and then carve away at the pit with a small, sharp knife until I've got all/most of the fruit off... then I use my teeth to tear off the remaining bits and enjoy them for myself.  It's a charming process really.
3  Now that the mango is peeled and somewhat dissected, dice it into smallish pieces and toss with the lime juice and a pinch of salt, adding as much as you like to taste
4  Let the mango marinate while you whip the cream.  This involves taking out an electric beater, tossing the lime zest and whipping cream in a bowl, turning the beater on and I'm pretty sure you know the rest about how to whip cream.  Of course, if you are like me and broke your vintage 1980s beaters by trying to make marshmallows and brioche dough... you may have to whip the cream by hand.
5  Top the salty sour mangoes with cream and eat with a fork.  Or a spoon.  I find either works.

So this isn't much of a recipe as I'm sure you've realized.  It's more a recommendation that you try adding salt to your mango and an observation that whipped cream tastes good on everything, especially if you add various citrus zests to it (try lemon zest with blueberry pie).  Of course, toasted coconut and dark chocolate also taste good with everything, and they are often what I serve on top of or with this dessert. 

*yes I tagged this breakfast because anything with fruit can be eaten at breakfast.  If it isn't a weekend (or day off), yogurt is the responsible workday substitute for whipped cream, I recommend a good quality plain 2% from a place like Hewitt's dairy.  This is not an advertisement... but seriously, buy their stuff.  It's real good.