Mango Chow Recipes

MANGO CHOW

Steps:

• Place mangoes in a serving bowl. Add some of each of the remaining ingredients and toss well.
• Taste and adjust balance of hot/tart/salty/sweet by adding more of the ingredients as you please. Serve with toothpicks to accompany drinks.
• Tip: While an authentic Trini chow uses completely unripe fruit, we like it with just a hint of sweetness and use mangoes that are about half ripe.
• Tip: Try the same technique with cucumbers, wedges of mandarin orange (the Trinis use a similar fruit called "portugals" in season), pomme cytheres (also called golden apples) or any half-ripe crisp fruit such as pineapple, guavas, or even unripe peaches or tart green apples.

CARIBBEAN BRAISED OXTAIL WITH MANGO CHOW

Steps:

• For the Jamaican curry rub: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place whole coriander, allspice, anise, cumin, fenugreek, mustard and peppercorns on a sheet tray evenly spread out. Bake 3 to 5 minutes. Place the ingredients in a spice grinder or blender and grind to a fine consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in a bowl with the turmeric and store in an airtight container for later.
• For the oxtails: Combine the flour and smoked paprika in a large bowl and set aside for later. Remove 2 ounces of the dredge and set aside for thickening the sauce.
• Combine the salt, pepper and 1/2 ounce curry rub in a bowl and mix well. Place the oxtails in a large bowl. Sprinkle the oxtails with all of the seasoning. (The oxtails should be coated heavily.)
• Dredge each oxtail in the flour dredge, then shake any excess flour off. Place on a sheet tray and let sit 2 to 4 hours.
• For the Caribbean bouquet garni: Unfold a 12-by-16-inch piece cheesecloth completely so that its length is perpendicular to your waist. Place the thyme, bay leaves and chiles at the bottom of the cloth and roll up, folding the outside of the cloth in to close the ends. Wrap up until it is tight, then and tie off with the butcher's twine, leaving the string long so it can be tied to the pot.
• For the braised oxtails: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the garlic, carrots, celery and onion in a container. In a large rondeau, heat up the oil to its smoke point, 2 to 3 minutes. Sear the oxtails until bronzed on each side, then remove from the oil. Reduce heat if pan is smoking too hard, then add the diced vegetables and saute until they are translucent. Add the salt, allspice, paprika, pepper and 1/4 cup curry rub and continue to saute to toast the spices, 3 to 5 minutes. Add reserved flour dredge and mix well to incorporate, stirring for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. (This will help thicken the sauce as it braises.)
• Deglaze the pan with the sherry and bring up to a simmer. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and oxtails and bring up to a boil. Tie the bouquet garni to the side of the pan and cover tightly with parchment and foil. Bake 1 1/2 hours, then add beans, recover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the beans from sticking, until oxtails are fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours more.
• For the Caribbean braised oxtail: Place 12 ounces hot oxtails in a saucepan with 2 cups sauce on medium heat. When the pan starts to boil, add the butter and cilantro. Baste each piece of oxtail 5 to 6 times with a spoon and turn off the heat.
• Mount all the rice to one side of a deep bowl and place the oxtails on top for height. Place the sauce on the other side of the bowl. Place Mango Chow on top and garnish with the cilantro sprigs, followed by 4 rings shaved chiles.
• Combine garlic, mangos, lime juice, chiles, cilantro, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and adjust seasoning as needed.

MANGO ORANGE CHOW

Steps:

• Peel the orange, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, then cut each round into quarters until you have 1 cup of orange wedges. Place in a large bowl.
• Peel the mango and cut into random 1/4-inch pieces so they're bite-sized and fit on a toothpick easily. When you have 1 cup of mango pieces, add them to the large bowl. Add the cilantro, Scotch bonnet, lemon juice, and black pepper. Toss well and season with sea salt.
• Cover, refrigerate and let marinate for 5 minutes. Add more salt, to taste, if needed. Serve in a medium bowl with toothpicks.

MANGO CHOW

Steps:

• Cut the mango into cubes and put it into the bowl. Add all the ingredients to the mango.
• Mix and let fruit rest for 15 minutes (chilling is optional).