Mmmmmmmango....

Mangoes are my all time favorite fruit.

That said, I don't think I have ever cooked with a mango. Occasionally I'll add them to a salsa or tropical salad. But my overwhelming sentiment is: why mess with perfection? Most times in my house, mangoes are devoured enjoyed slightly over-ripe, leaning over the sink and with juice running down my chin and occasionally my arms, too (attractive mental image, no?). If you have never enjoyed a mango this way, or wouldn't know how to eat one, I've created a handy slideshow, demonstrating the "hedgehog" method of eating a ripe mango.

"Mango Hedgehog"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

Anyway, thanks to an article in the NY Times dining section heralding the arrival of mango season, last night I decided to break out my ice cream maker and actually try out a recipe.  The recipe itself is for Mango-Rosewater Lassi, an Indian yogurt-based drink. However, I felt the need to make some changes. First, I don't really care for rosewater. To me, it tastes like old ladies. Not that I've been tasting any old ladies lately. It reminds me of my grandmother's special occasion hand lotion. So, I replaced it with limoncello.  The other changes I made include using greek yogurt (2%) rather than regular and hacking up the mangoes haphazardly (I object to recipes that make you dice something into neat little cubes only to chuck it into the blender and puree it). And I followed the recipe's suggestion to put the lassi in my ice cream machine and make frozen yogurt out of it. So, here is my version:

Mango Frozen Yogurt

2 cups hacked-up-any-old-way ripe mango
1 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tbsp limoncello
Pinch kosher salt
Combine the mango, yogurt, milk, sugar, limoncello and salt in a blender. Purée until smooth. Chill. Churn in ice cream maker for 10-15 minutes. Store in freezer. Makes about one quart.

Tangy frozen goodness.

Yum. Now, be forewarned, this is not "fro-yo" or an ice cream substitute. If you are into overly sweet frozen treats, this will probably be too tangy for you. But if you are a fan of the way frozen yogurt used to be - tangy, not overly sweet, adult-tasting, like yogurt that has been frozen - then this is for you. Honestly, I could see myself replacing the sugar with honey and eating this for breakfast during a heatwave. Mmmmm...

Anyway, I plan on using this recipe throughout the summer for a variety of fruits. The only other change I'll make, aside from the honey, is that I will probably increase the amount of fruit to three cups, depending on the fruit that I'm using. And if I wanted to make this more Indian tasting (not that I've been tasting any of them either) I would add a dash of cardamom.