When there are sun-kissed seasonal ingredients on hands, you have a wonderful dish made. In this case, the inspirations are the summer tomatoes in ruby red and mangoes in sunshine yellow. They need nothing else, but a dressing to bring them together. For a while, I have these two ingredients in the pantry but no thought of combining them in a salad until I see this Ottolenghi’s recipe in The Gaurdian.
If you don’t have mango puree, the easiest substitute is to blend frozen mango in a Vitamix. In the summertime, fresh or frozen fruits are must-haves in the pantry. They can be turned into frozen treats or smoothies in short order. Furthermore, you can freeze any excess seasonal fruits to last beyond the summer.
The mango miso dressing (blending together mango puree, miso and limes) does double duty in this recipe. One as the marinade to flavor the tomatoes and mango briefly. Secondly, pour it over the salad as a finishing dressing. Miso is a great ingredient which I use mostly as a savory component. I don’t associate it as a sweet ingredient until now. Why would I be surprised to find miso, in both savory and sweet application, to be versatile and transformative?
Miso is a paste made by fermenting soybeans with koji, a type of mold whose enzymes break down the soybeans’ structure into flavorful compounds. Miso adds that delightful savory and undefinable “fifth taste.” Meanwhile, miso also evokes the unami undertones of caramelized cane sugar and its earthy salty sweetness.
Do you know there is no sugar in the recipe? Yet, you taste all the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and mango. What you normally think of as a savory ingredient now brings something remarkable to the table. Sweet; it’s magical! Think Miso.
Summer Tomatoes with Mango Miso Dressing | Ottolenghi
The tropical marriage of tomato and mango makes this a delicious and colorful side dish for a barbecue or light lunch.
Ingredients
- FOR THE MANGO MISO DRESSING:
- 90ml canned sweetened mango puree – East End’s alphonso pulp is great
- 3 limes, 2 juiced, to get 3 tbsp, the other left whole
- 1½ tsp white miso paste
- Flaked sea salt and black pepper
- 90ml sunflower oil
- FOR THE HERB DRESSING:
- 10g basil leaves
- 10g mint leaves
- 1 green chilli (10g), pith and seeds discarded if you prefer less heat
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- FOR THE TOMATOES AND MANGO:
- 500g mixed ripe tomatoes, small ones cut in half, larger ones cut into quarters
- 1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks of a similar size to the tomatoes
- 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (use a mandoline, if you have one)
- ⅔ tsp nigella seeds
Instructions
FOR THE MANGO DRESSING: Put the mango puree in a medium bowl with the lime juice, miso and half a teaspoon of salt, and mix well. Pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking continuously, until you have a smooth dressing, then set aside.
MARINATE THE TOMATOES AND MANGO: Put the chopped tomatoes and mango in a medium bowl with 80ml of the dressing and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, mix gently, then leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes. Drain into a colander and discard the liquid.
FOR THE HERB DRESSING: Roughly chop the basil, mint and chilli, and put them in a small bowl with the oil, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper.
ADD THE LIMES: Using a small, sharp knife, top and tail the remaining lime, then cut around its natural curves to remove the skin and pith. Cut between the membranes to release the individual segments, then cut each segment into four or five pieces, add to the herb bowl and mix well.
PLATING: Arrange half the onions on a medium platter, followed by the drained mangoes and tomatoes, then spoon over the remaining mango dressing. Dollop the herb dressing on top and scatter over the remaining onions. Serve with the nigella seeds sprinkled on top.
Notes
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/jun/24/summer-tomato-recipes-pasta-confit-tomato-pangrattato-miso-mango-dressing-soup-crab-peanuts-yotam-ottolenghi
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