Recipe: Green Mango Salad with Pepita and Benne-Dusted Shrimp

the appetizer:

The New Southern-Latino Table, Recipes That Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South by Sandra A. Gutierrez includes recipes like Green Mango Salad with Pepita and Benne-Dusted Shrimp; Albóndigas with Sweet Fire-Roasted Tomato Chutney; and Rolled Ham Salad Cake (Pionono).

Green Mango Salad with Pepita
and Benne-Dusted Shrimp

Serves 4

Green mango salad with lime, salt, and dried chile is a very popular street food in Mexico and Central America. This citrusy salad, scented with cumin, coriander, and mint, is refreshing and strikingly colorful. Here, I coat plump shrimp with a ground mixture of nutty seeds. Benne is the African word for sesame seeds. Europeans introduced them to Latin America (where they're known as ajonjoli), and African slaves brought them to the South. The ingredient list is long here, but the steps are easy. Choose large, firm mangoes that are not too ripe; they should not give when pressed. The smaller, green mangoes sold in Asian stores will also work. Use a serrated potato peeler to remove their skins easily. This recipe doubles and triples perfectly, making it ideal for larger crowds. Pucker up!

4 cups firm, green mangoes, peeled, pitted, and sliced into ribbons
with a vegetable peeler
2 cups carrots, peeled and grated into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems), packed
2 tablespoons minced jalapeño
(seeded and deveined if less heat is desired)

For the Dressing

1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
4 large mint leaves, sliced thinly into ribbons (chiffonade)

For the Shrimp

1/2 cup raw, unsalted pepitas
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (see note)
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound large (16-20 count) shrimp, peeled, deveined,
and butterflied (leave tails on)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, toss together the mango, carrots, onions, cilantro, and jalapeno; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, salt, cumin, pepper, chile powder, coriander, and mint. Toss the salad with the dressing; set aside for 20 minutes (or chill for up to 8 hours).

Grind the pumpkin and sesame seeds in a coffee grinder (or small food processor) until they're a fine powder, being careful not to form a paste; place in a small bowl and add the salt. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Working in batches, dip the shrimp into the egg white and coat on both sides with the seed powder. Add to the skillet and saute for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. Arrange the salad on 4 plates. Top each with the shrimp and serve.

Note: To toast sesame seeds, place them in a dry skillet over low heat, stirring until they're fragrant and have begun to tum golden. Watch them carefully so they don't burn. Toasted sesame seeds are available in bulk in most Latin tiendas.

from:
The New Southern-Latino Table
Recipes That Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors
of Latin America and the American South
by Sandra A. Gutierrez
The University of North Carolina Press 2011
304 pages; Hardcover; $30.00
ISBN-10: 0807834947
ISBN-13: 978-0-8078-3494-7
Recipe reprinted by permission.

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