Spiced Mango with Coconut Ice Cream

Method

Make it

1. 01

   Choose ripe mangoes. The mangoes should be slightly soft to the touch, and you should be able to smell its sweet aroma. Cut off a small piece of the top: Hold the mango vertically, and use a sharp knife to cut off the top of the fruit, just below the stem. Cut the cheeks: Hold the mango with one hand and use the other hand to cut off the fleshy “cheeks” on either side of the pit. Cut parallel to the pit, about 1/4 inch away from it. Score the flesh: Use a sharp knife to score the flesh of each cheek in a crosshatch pattern, making sure not to cut through the skin. You want these crosshatch cuts to give you a checkerboard pattern of roughly 1/3-inch squares. Each cut should reach down right to the skin. Now, the mango cheeks are ready to receive their spicy rub.

2. 02

   Mix all the dry ingredients together – 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp paprika. Rub this mixture all over the crisscross cuts on each of the cheeks and work the rub a little into the cuts. Let the mango cheeks sit for 30 minutes. This will allow the salt and sugar enough time to draw out some of the mango juice. After 30 minutes, the mangoes are ready to be seared. Heat a large skillet with cooking oil until it starts smoking. Place the mango cheeks cut side down into the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and let the mango cheeks sear in the hot oil for about 90 seconds. Do not move the mangoes. After 90 seconds, remove the mangoes with a spatula and set them skin side down on some kitchen towel. Use a sharp knife to carefully fillet the skin from the mango.

3. 03

   Plate the seared spiced mango while still warm in the center of a plate and top it with coconut ice cream as shown in the picture. The warm, spiced mango combined with the slowly melting coconut ice cream will create a delightful tropical paradise.

4. 04

   Serve once the final component is ready.