EU Goes Bananas Over Mangoes
Recently I’ve been on my hobby horse as the EU in its’ wisdom has banned imports of Alphonso mangoes from India, for fear of fruit flies. Has the Health & Safety brigade finally gone bananas? Known as the King of Mangoes, they’re the sweetest and most succulent variety on the planet and with the absence of these slices of sunshine in our lives, our fruit bowl will be the poorer for it.
So, in an act of defiance and with deux doigts held aloft in the direction of the regulators I’ve taken to using Alphonso Mango purée from India and Pakistan. It’s a perfect substitute in my mango lassi and now with irony in this wonderfully indulgent pudding crème brûlée. Satisfying my increasingly sweet tooth, with a dash of mango purée, balanced with fragrant cardamom powder and ground earthy beetroot it’s a perfect fusion of Indian influenced French gastronomy, and a suitable bribe to turn an EU Commissioner’s ‘Non’ into a resonant ‘Oui’. So, join the campaign, back Alphonso and dig into this deliciously naughty Indian Crème Brûlée.
How To Make Mango & Beet Crème Brûlée
Makes 4
- 300ml double cream
- 3 x egg yolks
- 1 tbs sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1/3 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tsp beetroot powder
- 150ml mango purée
Heat the cream in a pan until it bubbles rather than boils. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, cardamom and beetroot powder plus the mango until the mix resembles a happy peach melba complexion. Now pour in the double cream and whisk thoroughly ensuring the egg doesn’t cook.
Pour into 4 ramekins and pop into a baking tin, filling the tin with water until it reaches half way up the ramekins. In a preheated oven, 160oC/Gas mark 3 cook for 25 minutes or until the contents feel a little firm to the touch. Remove, sprinkle with sugar and using a blow torch or under a hot grill caramelise the surface until it bubbles and crackles. Leave to cool and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving this Indian mango crème brûlée to the delight of your guests.
EU Goes Bananas Over Mangoes
Recently I’ve been on my hobby horse as the EU in its’ wisdom has banned imports of Alphonso mangoes from India, for fear of fruit flies. Has the Health & Safety brigade finally gone bananas? Known as the King of Mangoes, they’re the sweetest and most succulent variety on the planet and with the absence of these slices of sunshine in our lives, our fruit bowl will be the poorer for it.
So, in an act of defiance and with deux doigts held aloft in the direction of the regulators I’ve taken to using Alphonso Mango purée from India and Pakistan. It’s a perfect substitute in my mango lassi and now with irony in this wonderfully indulgent pudding crème brûlée. Satisfying my increasingly sweet tooth, with a dash of mango purée, balanced with fragrant cardamom powder and ground earthy beetroot it’s a perfect fusion of Indian influenced French gastronomy, and a suitable bribe to turn an EU Commissioner’s ‘Non’ into a resonant ‘Oui’. So, join the campaign, back Alphonso and dig into this deliciously naughty Indian Crème Brûlée.
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