Sunday, May 16, 2010

How to slice a mango (the easy way)

What, you thought I was gone forever? =) So, I may have had a bad case of moving states, laryngitis, pink eye, looking for a house, and finals all at the same time. But I'm back and I have some recipes with your name written all over them! But first, how to slice a mango.
The other day I was eating dinner at a friend's house with a few people. I watched as 2 women painstakingly cut a couple of mangoes and I nearly cried for them because it was just so difficult. Ugh, that stringy fruit, that impossible pit in the middle. It can be tricky.
However, there is an easy way, people! Really, there is. And it doesn't even involve skinning the thing. It dawned on me that many a good cook is probably unaware of how desperately easy (and kind of cool) cutting a mango can be, so I thought I'd share here for those who are still not sure of what I'm talking about.
So without further ado, I present to you: How to cut a mango.
Step 1: Locate where the seed/pit is. Many people do not realize that this quiet little unassuming mango is actually giving away all its secrets. Hold up your mango and look at it, there should be a region that seems a little more peaked and oblong than the rest of the mango:
If you still don't see it, here's some visual help:Ok, so that's the seed/pit thingy.
Step 2: Cut just to the left and right of that region by about 1/3 of an inch, on this line:
See how the line is just to the left of the shiny portion? I'm going to cut there, with the intent of just grazing or missing the pit of the mango, like so:
Then, I'll cut the other side in much the same fashion, letting the seed guide my knife, so that I don't cut through it or too far away from it. The goal is to get as much mango as possible with as little stress as possible:
Voila:Step 3: Ok, now for the fun part, cutting it. Alright, you've now successfully maneuvered your way around the pit (phew!). It's time to cute this juicy fruit up into pieces. Score it (up and down way first and then side to side, it's just easier with the grain of the mango itself). You'll want to ensure at this point that you don't push too hard and cut your own finger by going through the mango skin. That's not too difficult, just thought I should mention it.
Next, the best part:
Step 4: Take your fingers and push the middle of the skin and your mango will POP open, like a flower:
Isn't it pretty? Then you just skim your knife along the skin of the mango and the pieces will fall off.
And that's it. No skinning, not trying to wrestle with that dang pit. Just pretty, delicious fruit.

Now, go buy those mangoes and go to town! I'll have a delicious mango salsa recipe all ready for you tomorrow!

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