Mango Salad

I’ve only been back in Rome a little more than 24 hours, and I’m already missing the large supply of mangoes that were available at my father’s house every day.  His wife Fina made this wonderful mango salad last Saturday for a family BBQ we had at home.  Easy to put together, few ingredients, and an explosion of flavour and freshness with each mouthful. 

While I can buy mangoes here, they are so different from the Australian variety, (more ‘tart’ in flavour), that  if I make this salad, it’s not really going to be the same.  I might have to get creative and add some ingredients…   but for now, this is the recipe we enjoyed Saturday.

Ingredients

• 3 – 4 Mangoes
• 4 long stalks celery
• bunch of fresh mint
• 2 red chillies

Dressing  (quantities can be adjusted to personal taste)

• 50ml white wine vinegar
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• freshly squeezed  juice from 2 limes
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Cut cheeks off mango and cut flesh into pieces. Cut as much flesh as you can off mango pip/stone.
2. Wash & chop celery and mint.
3. Slice chilli peppers in half, and slice in fine strips.
4. Layer salad in following order on flate serving dish. Mango. Celery. Mint. Chilli pepper. Repeat layering until you’ve finished ingredients.
5. Pour over dressing.
6. Enjoy alone or as side dish to accompany any meat or fish dish.