Mango Chiffon

Recently I checked out of my local library a book of pie recipes.  I had told myself not to check out cookbooks, and had even talked myself out of the soup cookbook.  But I LOVE pies.  I love eating them, I love baking them, talking about them, and finding new recipes.  So the book got checked out.  And then I came home, flipped it open, and the first thing I saw was a recipe for mango chiffon pie.  Oh, yum.  And mango season is just getting started!  That's either very happy coincidence or fate.  Either way, I was making a pie.  And the best part?  Chiffon pies don't really bake, so my less-than-reliable oven was not going to mess me up!

Start by making a Crumb Crust
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs

2 T Sugar

pinch salt

½ C unsalted butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 325 F (or thereabouts).  Combine the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a bowl (or directly in the pie dish you'll be using) and mix thoroughly.  Add the butter and stir until blended.  Press the mixture against the sides of a 9-inch pie pan, as evenly as possible.  Bake for 8 minutes, so the crust is set.  Allow the crust cool as you start on the rest of the pie.

Mango Chiffon

2 large, ripe mangoes (or 3 smallish ones)

¼ C water

1 envelope (1T) unflavored gelatin

5 eggs, separated

2 T fresh lemon juice

½ C sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp salt

Begin my removing the mango flesh from the pit and skin.  There are a few ways to do this.  You can peel the mango and start cutting away the fruit (I feel like I'm going to lose a finger whenever I try this), invest in a mango-slicer, or try this method:

1. Insert a knife at the stem-end of the mango, aligned with the pit's edge.  (Basically the fat part of of the mango should be aligned with the blade.)  Drag the knife down, around, and back to the stem, keeping the tip of the knife in contact with the pit at all times.  
2. Use a spoon (not a knife) to separate the flesh from the pit.  Insert the spoon into the cut you've made, and sort of drag/scoop along the pit until you've freed a half of the mango. 
3. Carefully cut the mango flesh in a tic-tac-toe pattern, skimming but not cutting the skin with the tip of the knife.  
4. Turn the mango skin inside-out, and slice off the resulting cube-ish pieces.

Put the mango in a blender and purée.  You should have about 1 1/2 C of purée when you're done.  Set it aside.  

In a small cup or bowl, combine the water and gelatin.  Make sure to stir the gelatin into the water, or you'll wind up with a clump of powder surrounded by hydrated gelatin that will be almost impossible to work with.  Allow the gelatin to sit for a few minutes and hydrate/soften.

Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1/4 C sugar in a saucepan.  Continue whisking as you cook the mixture over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until it is thickened and foamy.  Do NOT let it boil.  Add the softened gelatin and whisk for about 30 seconds longer on the stove.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the mango purée and ginger.  Stir everything together, then put it in the fridge to chill.  Take it out and stir it occasionally, until it mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.

Beat the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form.  Add the remaining 1/4 C sugar and continue beating until the whites are stiff.  Gently fold the egg whites into the mango purée, fill the cooled pie crust with the mixture, and place it into the fridge to chill for several hours before serving.

Note:  In case you didn't notice, the egg whites in this recipe never get cooked.  This is unlikely to cause any problems, but it is generally recommended that you don't serve such recipes to "at-risk" individuals-- people who are either quite old, very young, pregnant, or may have compromised/weak immune systems.

Back to the pie:  

This was delightful.  Everyone agreed that the mango flavor was wonderfully intense and sweet.  I would have liked a bit more ginger myself, but I measured skimpily on that one, so that's my fault.  I also thought it was fantastically light without being airy.  My mother was not overly impressed with the texture, but she remembered as she started eating that she's always felt that way about chiffon pies.  I guess you can't please everyone all of the time.  But seriously, if you like mangoes, give this a try.