Learning how to safely slice a mango is no simple task.
Riddle me this foodists, which is easier to handle: the sub-Asian kin of the cashew known as the mango? Or an over-caffeinated weasel with rabies?
Well, when compared stitch to stitch, the mango is by far the more vicious adversary. For a long time I wouldn’t even eat mangoes because I thought they were just too much of a pain to deal with.
Here’s how to slice one up safely (or check out the video for more info):
1. First, make sure your mango is good and dead. Not just playing opossum, but dead. Then fetch your thinnest, sharpest boning knife…you want a narrow blade for this. Trim just a sliver off the bottom, that is the bloom end…as in, not the end with the stem. Now use a peeler to remove all but a patch of skin on either of the wider sides.
2. You don’t have to actually mark it, mind you. This is for demonstration purposes only.
3. Good. Now, if you’ve left your patches in the right spots you should be able to hold the mango on the board ensuring that you’re now facing the skinny profile of the seed which you want to cut around. Your fingers and thumb should be able to securely hold the skin patches. Bring the knife carefully under your hand and slice down around one side of the seed making a slight arc around the seed.
4. Without removing the cut piece, repeat on the other side again, being sure not to poke your hand. Repeat the careful downward slice on the other broad side of the fruit. The operative word here is careful. We’ve already had enough blood around here today, don’t you think?
5. Now, if you’d like, you can trim whatever flesh remains from around the seed or simply wring it out into a glass and drink it. I usually just chew on the darned thing when nobody’s looking. Now, it should be easy enough to trim each of the patches off the filets, which can now be cubed, diced, chopped, or julienned for use in a wide range of delicacies.
Video, text and images © Alton Brown, 2014
