Saturday, November 01, 2008

Mango Pannacotta with Caramelised Mango

This week marks 3 years of Weekend Herb Blogging and to help celebrate, Kalyn has asked us to prepare something using our favourite herb, vegetable or fruit. In previous years I've opted for potato and sage so its only fair that I give my favourite fruit equal time...that fruit, Mango.

mango© by Haalo


There's just something deliriously sinful about Mango, something that makes you want to find a nice private spot and just bite into that juicy flesh...or maybe that's just me. An edible piece of sunshine, it's a fruit that will lift your mood in an instant.

Besides having a wonderful taste, Mango is also quite good for you. It contains enzymes that aid in digestion and Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and C as well as Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. It's very colour is also a product of carotenoid, a powerful anti-oxidant.

While the dish I'm making isn't what you'd normally consider health food, I'm sure the addition of mango must make it much better for you. Easily made in less than 15 minutes, I'm sure everyone can find some room for Mango Pannacotta!


mango pannacotta© by Haalo

Mango Pannacotta
[Serves 4]

250ml/1 cup cream
2 mangos
2 teaspoons sugar
2 sheets titanium grade gelatine

Prepare the mangos:

Cut the mango close to the seed to give you two cheeks. Using a large spoon, scoop out the flesh. Peel around the seed then cut away the flesh. Finally give the seed a squeeze to remove any lingering flesh.

Process the flesh using an immersion blender or stand blender until smooth. Pass this through a fine sieve to remove any fibrous traces. You should end up with about 1 cup/250mls of pureed mango.

Prepare the gelatine:

Gelatine sheets regardless of grade tend to look like this

gelatine sheet© by Haalo

One sheet of titanium grade gelatine will set 250mls of liquid while it will take 3 sheets of gold grade to do the same job. For those that prefer to use agar agar, you will need to use 5 grams of strands or 3.5 grams of powder in this recipe.

Before you can use the gelatine you need to soften it. Just place the sheets in a bowl of cold water, making sure the water covers the sheets. Let it stand about 5 minutes until soft.

Prepare the pannacotta:

Place the cream and sugar into a saucepan and over a medium heat, stir until the sugar has dissolved. Continue stirring until the cream almost reaches boiling point then remove from heat.

Remove the gelatine sheets from the water and squeeze to remove any excess water from them and then place them into the hot cream. Stir until dissolved and then add in the mango. Stir vigorously until well blended and for a smoother result, pour the mixture through a fine sieve.

Divide the mixture evenly into 4 serving glasses - place the glasses in the fridge to cool and set. Cover the tops with kitchen paper to soak up any moisture from the hot liquid.


mango pannacotta© by Haalo


You can enjoy them as is but as a final touch, I've topped these with a mix of caramelised mango.


Caramelised Mango
1 mango, flesh cut into small dice
½ cup caster sugar

Sprinkle the sugar into a heavy based skillet over a medium heat. When the edges start to go brown, give it a stir, it will turn quite quickly into a dark caramel so take care. Add in half the diced mango and keep stirring. The mixture will harden initally but will eventually slacken - you can add a little water to help. Once it's at a caramel like consistency, add in the remaining mango. Stir briefly to coat the mango pieces and then remove from the heat. Let it cool a little before using.

81DSC_9022.jpg

If the appreciative murmurs coming from Paalo wasn't proof enough, then this certainly was

mango pannacotta© by Haalo


To finish I must say a very special thank-you to Kalyn - for creating a much loved and enduring event, truly it is a testament to you as a person - and for entrusting me with its future, though I do think I'm a long way from being a herb goddess ;)

15 comments

  1. That looks incredible! I would love a bowl of that!!

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  2. Gorgeous dish, and mango was nearly the favorite fruit, losing to apple by one vote! You are much too modest Haalo. Not only are you a herb goddess, but I'd say you're a Cooking Goddess in general as well. I appreciate knowing that WHB is in such capable hands, and of course I will still be participating whenever I can.

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  3. All your Mango recipes are drool worthy and good luck with the WHB.

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  4. Beautiful - deleriously so.

    Ah. Those mango moments. Know them well.

    You'll be a fabulous new hostess. Looking forward to your take on the event.

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  5. Thanks Tanna!

    Thank you so much Kalyn - and I certainly look forward to participation!

    Thanks Ivy!

    Thanks Lucy - there's nothing quite like a mango moment ;)

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  6. This is a fantastic recipe that isn't too difficult. I adore mangos, and this combination of mango topping with the creamy Pannacotta to die for. I love this one!

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  7. Beautiful dessert, beautiful pictures! I love mangoes too and voted for it! :)

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  8. Thanks Darren!

    Thanks Ning - mango came so close to winning.

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  9. This looks so divine. I feel exactly the same as you do towards the mango. Especially a thick juicy cheek like a delicious fruit steak... so yum!!!

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  10. Thanks Pea&Pear - it takes a lot of resistance to not just gobble the mango up as is!

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  11. Oh my goodness! How did I miss this one!

    Paz

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  12. AnonymousMay 26, 2009

    I tried this today (sans the caramelized mango, because I also needed to bake three cakes and was pressed for energy) and it was a huge hit. Already there are requests for repeats ASAP. Thanks!

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  13. Thanks Mashi - happy to hear!

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  14. This was a delightful success with my family, I've enjoyed reading about many of your recipes and hope to enjoy them all as much

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  15. The pannacotta is in the fridge as I type and I'm planning to unmould and then top with the mango. Watch out for pics on my blog!

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