I am partial to mangoes; I love how their sweet, slick fleshiness melts in your mouth. Mangoes taste like a cross between a peach and an apricot, with pineapple undertones. They are low in calories, high in fiber and rich in potassium, antioxidants and vitamins A and C. When I saw mangoes were on sale in the grocery store the other day, I grabbed a few. While they were ripening on the counter top, I thought they would be delicious if added to pancake batter. And they were ... the riper the mango the more flavorful the pancake!
Helpful to know: A ripe mango will yield to slight pressure. If you can’t find a ripe one, place in a paper bag at room temperature until the flesh yields; the ripening process can take several days.
To get the flesh of the mango, slice lengthwise on both sides as close to the pit as possible. Crisscross-cut the pulpy side of each piece and then turn inside out by holding each half with both hands and pushing in on the skin side. (Think about turning an orange or lemon wedge inside out.) Once you've got the fruit exposed, cut the mango from the skin. You can get some additional fruit from the top and bottom of the remaining section of mango; the section containing the pit. You probably won’t get much meat, but any additional mango is worth it!
Ginger Marinated Mango Pancakes
1 cup ripe mango, diced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
In a medium bowl, toss mango with ginger.
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons canola oil, plus additional for skillet
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a medium bowl, whisk until fully combined, eggs, milk, canola oil and vanilla. Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture, stirring just to combine. Add gingered mango.
Butter and syrup
In a large skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon canola oil over moderate heat. Spoon about ¼ cup batter per pancake into skillet; a large skillet should cook approximately 3 at a time. Cook pancakes for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Serve immediately with butter and syrup. Yield: About 14-16 pancakes.
