Hurricane Coming?

An age old Bahamian myth states if the mango trees are heavy loaded with fruit, it will be a very bad hurricane season. Since I’ve lived here it’s actually seemed to be true. Years when the mango trees are full of fruit there has been a busy season with storms coming close to us. Years when the fruit is light it has been a light season for storms with nothing coming close to us. Now, I think mangos are pretty amazing fruits. Full of flavor and so versatile in both sweet and savory dishes but I don’t know if they have the ability to predict the future. This year seems to be a middle of the road mango crop. Not full but not too light so hopefully that will bode well for us. On the other hand, it means mangoes are ready now for us to be enjoyed!

At Flying Fish we have had mango on our menu in different varieties since we opened. Both sweet and savory and even in drinks! Here are some of our favorite recipes right from our menu! Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

2 oz tequila

2 oz mango puree

1 oz lime juice fresh squeezed

float of triple sec

cilantro leaves

Muddle the cilantro leaves with the tequila. Add mango puree, lime and ice into cocktail shaker and shake. Salt the rim of your glass. Pour drink into glass and float with triple sec. So good and so refreshing!

Seared scallops, Mango butter sauce, Compressed melon, Pickled seaweed

Scallops:

3 scallops per person

 butter to finish

lemon juice

salt & pepper

Mango Butter:

1 shallot chopped

2 cups white wine

1 cup mango puree

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 ½ lbs unsalted butter cold in small cubes

kosher salt and white pepper

Compressed Melon:

1 honeydew melon

1 canteloupe

1 bunch basil leaves

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Pickled Seaweed:

Prepared wakame salad (available in most Asian food stores)

Dried dulce, arame, hijiki, sea lettuce or any other edible seaweed you like

1 cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup honteri mirin

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

Garnish:

Yuzu tobiko

Cilantro

For the butter sauce:

Add 1 tbsp veg oil to a medium sized sauce pot and sauté shallot until translucent and soft. Deglaze with white white. Add mango and heavy cream. Reduce heat and simmer to reduce until mixture thickens. Strain the shallots out of the thickened mix. Add mix back into pot and whisk in butter cubes a few at a time to emulsify the butter. Don’t add too much heat at a time or the sauce will break. Whisk constantly until all the butter is incorporated. Season with salt and white pepper. Reserve in a warm place. Do not refrigerate or place too close to a heat source.

For the seaweed

Mix prepared wakame, rehydrated dried seaweeds and pickling brine together and let stand at least 6 hours.

For the melons

Peel and seed the melons and cut into cubes all roughly the same size. Heat water and sugar together to make a simple syrup. When sugar is dissolved, cool mixture. Add melon cubes to vacuum bag with 10 basil leaves and ¼ cup of syrup mixture. Vacuum the melons with vacuum sealer, (a chamber unit works best but a food saver will give a similar effect). Place the bags into a freezer for 10 minutes to set. Remove from freezer and move to a fridge until ready to use.

For the scallops

Heat a non-stick pan until very hot. Make sure the scallops are dry. Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper. Place scallops into a lightly oiled pan. Saute until golden brown on 1 side. Turn scallops over and turn off the heat. Add a cube of butter to the pan and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Baste scallops with butter lemon mixture.

To Plate

And a circle of Mango butter to the middle of a round plate. Place alternating color melon around the edge of the sauce. Place a healthy pinch of pickled seaweed into the center of the melon circle. Place seared scallops around the plate evenly spaced. Top each scallop with a small dollop of yuzu tobiko and a cilantro leaf.

Mango Cheesecake

Crust:

2 cups ground ginger snaps

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ lb unsalted butter

 Filling:

1 lb of cream cheese

3 eggs

1 cup mango puree

1 cup sugar

1 pint sour cream

zest of 1 lemon

1 vanilla bean, seeds only

Preheat oven to 325 f.

For the crust

Melt butter over low he at. Grind ginger snaps in the bowl of a food processor. While running, add cinnamon and the slowly drizzle in melted butter until the crumbs come together. You may not need all the butter. Place the crust mixture into a lined spring form pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the filling

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla. Add sour cream and lemon zest. Add eggs 1 egg at a time until incorporated. Mix thoroughly. Once mixed, divide the mixture in 2 parts (1 part being a little more than half and not quite ¾ of the total mixture). To the smaller part add the mango puree and fold to incorporate. When ready to pour into the crust, get a friend to help. While 1 person spins the crust slowly, the other pour both mixes into the pan at the same time creating a marble effect in the cheesecake.

Wrap cheesecake pan in foil from the bottom, leaving the top exposed. This will prevent water seeping into the cake from the bottom. Place foiled cake into a deep sided baking sheet with water ¼ to ½ up the sides of the cheesecake pan. The water in the pan helps  to regulate the heat and prevents the cheesecake from cracking. Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes up to 1 hour depending on your oven. Chill for al least 30 minutes before serving.

Three of our most secret recipes exposed for you! Hope you get the opportunity to try some of these. If so, let us know how it goes. Or just come down here to Flying Fish and let us make it for you!

And as always if you have any other wine or food questions drop by our website at www.ninetynineone.com and drop us a line in the Q&A section of the site. We’re always happy to answer any questions you have.

Also, drop by www.flyingfishbahamas.com or find us on facebook to stay up to date on the happenings at Freeport’s finest restaurant!

Follow us on Twitter @ninetynineone

Yours in good eating,

Chef Tim

99/1 Food Service Management in Freeport is owned & run by Tim & Rebecca Tibbitts. Flying Fish Modern Seafood restaurant is the newest adventure from 99/1 opened in February adjacent to Pelican Bay Hotel & The Grand Lucayan in Lucaya. With unmatched service & attention to detail, Flying Fish is a blend of traditional & modernist cuisine techniques not used anywhere else in the Bahamas.