Mango Sticky Rice Meringues
My love letter to mango season
I’m almost hesitant to say this, but it seems like summer is in full swing here in England. Or at least, our half-baked version of summer. In order not to scare the sunshine away, I feel like I have to usher it in gently. I can’t let my guard down just yet- I don’t travel anywhere without a coat tucked away, and there is still an air of caution in making plans that involve actually being outside. So despite my first year of university coming to a close, my exams all completed, and the false sense of security of a clear blue sky; there’s only one thing that can reliably signal that summer has truly commenced- when my dad comes home with a box of golden, sweet mangos. It’s mango season!
Growing up I almost exclusively ate kesar, honey, or alphonso mangos- the ones sold in boxes of 10 at the Asian grocers, each one individually wrapped and snuggled in a cardboard box, as to not damage the precious cargo. Instead of gifting boxes of chocolate, it wouldn’t be uncommon to be gifted or receive a box of mangoes instead! The musky sweet aroma would permeate in the kitchen, and between me and my siblings, a box would rarely last more than 3 days. Sometimes the flesh would be so soft, it gave way under the most gentle pressure from the knife, that’s when it was time to make my most favourite dish of all time- Mango sticky rice. I guess you could call it the most indulgent struggle meal of all time. I’d make it when I was being picky and didn’t want what my mum had made, or just as a late night snack.
At it’s core- sticky rice, hot milk (heated in a pan, not the microwave), yoghurt, and fresh mangoes. A more elaborate ‘dessert’ version would consist of the same formula, but with the addition of condensed milk, double cream, crushed toasted sesame seeds and puffed rice. All finished with a pinch of salt! We’d even make it with overripe bananas instead of mangoes! Words fail to convey just how delicious it is- each bite provides so much range and contrast- in temperature, texture and sweetness.
So when I tried the ‘regular’ mangoes (the ones in the supermarket that are green), safe to say I was very disappointed. Instead of the soft, buttery texture I loved, it was more crunchy and almost fibrous. That being said, their tartness lends itself extremely well in savoury dishes- but not for this dessert I’m afraid! Luckily, tinned alphonso mangos are pretty easy to come by now, and do an adequate job when fresh mangoes aren’t available (they fuel my mango sticky rice cravings in the dead of winter!)
These pavlovas take the elements I love from mango sticky rice and elevates them into a slightly more sophisticated dessert. Although both dishes are equally delicious, I think it’s a fun challenge to try and translate elements through more convoluted pastry techniques! I demonstrated these pavlovas at my first food festival which was very exciting! The audience particularly loved the toasted black sesame praline- it’s depth of rich nutty sweetness carries this dish. The toasted rice powder in the meringue makes the meringue taste like rice puffs!
Here are all the elements:
Toasted rice meringue
Mango cream
Mango pulp
Black sesame praline
Raspberries
Without further ado, here is the recipe:
Mango sticky rice pavlovas (makes 6)
Meringue nests:
4 egg whites (weigh these out)
300g caster sugar (or double the weight of egg whites)
2 tbsp toasted rice powder*
½ tsp cream of tartar
Mango cream
300ml double cream
200ml tinned mango pulp +100ml extra
200g mascarpone
Sesame praline
200g caster sugar
90g black sesame seeds
pinch of salt
200g Raspberries to decorate
*for the toasted rice powder, heat about 2 tbsp of uncooked white rice over medium heat, dry in a saucepan until deep golden brown. Use a spice grinder or food processor to blend into a fine powder, and sift to remove large grains.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 120C Fan.
2. Make meringue: Wipe down the whisk and bowl of a stand mixer with vinegar. Then add egg whites and cream of tartar. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Slowly drizzle in the sugar, and whip until stiff peaks form. Finally, add the rice powder and whip until just incorporated.
3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Transfer meringue to a large piping bag with a star nozzle, pipe 6x 7cm concentric circles and then 2 rings around the edge of each circle to form a nest. Sprinkle with extra toasted rice powder, and bake for 1 hr 45 mins, until firm and set. Leave to cool in the oven, as drastic temperature changes may cause cracks in the meringue.
Make sesame praline: Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper, or a silicon mat. In a light coloured saucepan over medium heat, add the caster sugar, and swirl gently until caramelised and golden brown, Lower the heat, add the sesame seeds and salt. Stir quickly to coat the sesame in the caramel, then pour onto your tray. Working quickly, use an offset spatula to spread the mixture into a thin even sheet. Leave to set and cool at room temperature. Optionally, you can use a circle cutter to cut rounds of praline, or just break it into shards!
Make mango cream: Beat all ingredients with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. Transfer to piping bag with a star nozzle.
Assemble nests: Pipe a ring of mango cream into each meringue nest in a similar fashion to how you piped the nest. Fill each divot with a teaspoon of the extra mango pulp. Add a piece of sesame praline, and top with a raspberry. Serve as soon as possible and enjoy!
All the elements can be prepared in advance and stored in airtight containers- ensure the cream is refrigerated and the meringue and praline are stored at room temperature.