I'm one of the few people I know that enjoys a mamey - to the point that I will just spoon mamey from the skin and eat it straight. I think they are wonderful. I think they taste a bit like a cooked pumpkin or sweet potato with a bit of sugar and spice mixed in.
Because mamey are so lovely and soft I would use them as a substutute for any recipe that calls for cooked pumpkin or sweet potato. Quite a time saver.
My darling esposo enjoys mamey as custard/ flan, and in baked goods; so here is a SUPER SIMPLE Dairy Free Flan/Custard recipe.
Mamey Custard / Flan
½ Cup Sugar (for the caramel liquid) **
1 Cup Mamey flesh
1 ½ Cup soy milk
½ Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract (optional)
3 Large Whole Eggs
2 Large Egg whites
1 Tablespoon Honey or Pure Maple Syrup
** To prepare the Flan mold: In a small pot add enough water to the sugar to make a wet sandy consistency. Place on stove top on high heat until caramelized to a light golden color. Carefully drop a few drops of water into the pot to stop the cooking. Immediately pour the caramel into the ramekins to cover the bottom. ** this part is really optional, you don't need the caramel liquid as the custard/flan is really sweet enough.**
To prepare the custard: Combine the mamey, soy milk, vanilla and bring to a boil. Separately whisk together the eggs (3 whole and 2 whites only) and honey/syrup. Spoon a few tablespoons of the hot mamey mixture mixing into the eggs to temper them. Whisk the remaining mamey into the tempered eggs.
To bake the flan: Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the mamey custard into the ramekins. Place the ramekins into an ovenproof casserole dish. Add hot water to the dish until the water level is half way up the ramekins. Place in a very low temp oven, about 150ºc for about 1 hour, or until flan sets. Remove from pan and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until well chilled.
To serve: Run the tip of a paring knife blade around the inside edge of the ramekin. Invert the ramekin over the serving dish. The flan will slip out of the mold and caramel liquid will flow on the plate.
My darling esposo enjoys mamey as custard/ flan, and in baked goods; so here is a SUPER SIMPLE Dairy Free Flan/Custard recipe.
Mamey Custard / Flan
½ Cup Sugar (for the caramel liquid) **
1 Cup Mamey flesh
1 ½ Cup soy milk
½ Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract (optional)
3 Large Whole Eggs
2 Large Egg whites
1 Tablespoon Honey or Pure Maple Syrup
** To prepare the Flan mold: In a small pot add enough water to the sugar to make a wet sandy consistency. Place on stove top on high heat until caramelized to a light golden color. Carefully drop a few drops of water into the pot to stop the cooking. Immediately pour the caramel into the ramekins to cover the bottom. ** this part is really optional, you don't need the caramel liquid as the custard/flan is really sweet enough.**
To prepare the custard: Combine the mamey, soy milk, vanilla and bring to a boil. Separately whisk together the eggs (3 whole and 2 whites only) and honey/syrup. Spoon a few tablespoons of the hot mamey mixture mixing into the eggs to temper them. Whisk the remaining mamey into the tempered eggs.
To bake the flan: Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the mamey custard into the ramekins. Place the ramekins into an ovenproof casserole dish. Add hot water to the dish until the water level is half way up the ramekins. Place in a very low temp oven, about 150ºc for about 1 hour, or until flan sets. Remove from pan and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until well chilled.
To serve: Run the tip of a paring knife blade around the inside edge of the ramekin. Invert the ramekin over the serving dish. The flan will slip out of the mold and caramel liquid will flow on the plate.
After I took this photo I cut the mamey open to show the beautiful orangey color. Unfortunately It was rotten on the inside! So sorry, but no beautiful cut fruit photo, however if I get a good one I'll come in and add it
The mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota) grows well and is widely appreciated in the Central American, Latin American, Caribbean areas. The shape is a bit like a US style football, with a soft brown coloring, and a fuzziness reminiscient of a kiwi, but just a bit tougher. To check for ripeness the fruit should give gently under a gentle squeeze, or nick the skin with a fingernail and you should see a deep rich orangey color. The large central seed is toxic, so dispose of it properly.