Grilled Mangoes with Blue Cheese and Honey
- 3 large mangoes, ripe but not soft (you can substitute apricots, peaches, nectarines or pears)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Toasted Spice Rub, recipe follows
- 1/8 teaspoon finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
- 8 ounces blue cheese
- 3 tablespoons honey
- Have the oven broiler on or a grill heated to medium-high.
- Peel the mangoes with a paring knife.
- One at a time, set each mango on its side on a cutting board and cut the flesh away from the large flat seed in the center.
- Place the largest 2 pieces from each mango in a medium bowl (set the rest of the flesh aside for another use).
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and cook until it turns nut brown.
- Add the Toasted Spice Rub and salt.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Pour or brush the butter mixture over the mangoes and toss well to coat them.
- Grill the mango slices (only on the flat, cut side) over medium-high heat until nicely marked, 3 to 5 minutes.
- While mangoes are grilling, cut the blue cheese into 1-inch pieces.
- Remove the mango slices from the grill and spread them on a baking sheet, with the grilled sides facing up.
- Divide the cheese on top of the mango slices.
- Place under the broiler for 30 seconds to weep the cheese (optional step).
- Be careful not to get the mango too hot.
- Arrange on a platter or individual plates.
- In a heat-proof bowl, warm the honey briefly in the microwave and drizzle over the top.
- Serve warm.
- 1/4 cup fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup pure California chili powder
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Toast the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small, heavy pan over medium heat.
- When the fennel turns light brown, work quickly.
- Turn on the exhaust fan; add the red pepper flakes, and toss, toss, toss, always under the fan.
- Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool.
- Put in a blender with the chili powder, salt, and cinnamon and blend until the spices are evenly ground.
- If you have a small spice mill or a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, grind only the fennel, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes.
- Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients.
- Toasting freshens spices, releases their oils, and makes them more fragrant, as well as adding a new dimension of flavor.
- Keep the spice mix in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.
- Taste your chili powder and, if spicy and hot, cut back the amount.
- California chiles are almost sweet, not hot.
- Yield: about 1 cup
mangoes, unsalted butter, toasted spice rub, salt, blue cheese, honey
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/grilled-mangoes-with-blue-cheese-and-honey-recipe.html (may not work)