Fresh Mango Salsa: Live, Love & Eat in Sayulita

Mangos, Mangos, Mangos! My all time favorite fruit! And right now in Sayulita, they are everywhere! Ripe and juicy! You can find them in nearly every tienda in Sayulita.

Two years ago, mid June, my husband and I were heading to Playa Chacala (a great day trip from Sayulita) for a day at a quiet, beautiful beach. Tree/sun ripened, free fallen mangos were lining the roadside. Luckily, we had some bags with us and 15 minutes later the scent of lush ripe mangos filled our car and our senses!

I had never been so excited about eating mangos in every form I could possibly imagine! I had previously only tasted store bought ones. There is truly nothing like the flavor of a tree/sun ripened mango! We had mangos at breakfast, mangos at lunch, and mangos at dinner for days! My favorite way to use these was, and still is, Fresh Mango Salsa.

So, today I am going to share with you possibly the simplest recipe I will ever submit through this column. There are no precise ingredients. All amounts are to your personal taste. I hope you love this salsa as much as I do! 

FRESH MANGO SALSA

INGREDIENTS:

- As many ripe mangos as you desire, chopped into small chunks
- 1-2 Jalapeno peppers - with seeds & membranes removed *
- A nice bunch of finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Juice of 1 or 2 limes; Add to taste. Some limes are fat and juicy, some are not.  A tip for choosing your limes - always choose the ones where the skin is smooth and shiny, and you can feel the juice just wanting to burst below the skin. 
- A bit of finely chopped garlic; optional
- Combine the above, taste, and adjust flavors    

* If you really like it hot, you can include the seeds and membranes. You may prefer to make it the same as pico de gallo, using mangos rather than fresh tomatoes and adding fresh chopped onion and garlic. This is not my personal favorite, as I love that the true flavor of the mango is the star.

Enjoy the salsa with eggs on toast for breakfast, in fish tacos for lunch, or topped on your favorite protein for dinner. It's also great to take to a pool party in Sayulita. Or if you're like me, eat with a teaspoon at any time!

A great variation is to make a Chutney. Eliminate the cilantro, add apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and a bit of cayenne to taste. Cook in a saucepan on the stove top until the fruit is nice and soft. Adjust seasonings and then puree in a blender.

I love using this chutney instead of barbecue sauce for pork ribs or on barbecued chicken breasts. 

Look forward to my next column - a stunning dessert, Pavlova, topped with wonderful mounds of luscious, dripping chunks of mangos and whipped Lyncott cream. You can find the whipping cream in most tiendas in Sayulita. It is called Crema Para Batir. 
 

SaveSave