Armagnac and Mango Crepes

Armagnac and Mango Crepes

Ingredients
For the crepes
3 eggs
About 120g plain flour
Pinch of salt
375ml milk
Butter

For the mango and amaretto mixture
80g butter
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, flesh removed, cut into large chunks
30g brown sugar
1 vanilla pod
Teaspoon orange zest
2-3 tablespoon Armagnac liquor
Icing sugar for dusting
Small handful of crushed amaretto biscuits (optional)
Vanilla bean ice cream

Method

To make the crepes
Sift the flour and the salt into a bowl.
Whisk the eggs with the milk and then gradually pour in the flour, whisking continuously until smooth. Cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Beat the batter with a whisk before using.
Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan over a medium heat (preferably non-stick pan)
Give the pan a jiggle so the entire base is covered with the hot melted butter.
Once the butter starts to become almost golden brown in colour add a ladle of the crepe mix and really shake the pan around to spread the mix over the entire base of the pan.
When the crepe is browned on the underside use a spatula to flip it over and brown on the other side.
Once both sides are browned place the crepes on an upside down plate with a clean tea towel over the top and set-aside until ready to use.

To make the filling
Pop half of the butter into a heavy bottomed non-stick pan over a medium heat; once the butter starts to sizzle add the mango, sugar, vanilla pod, orange zest and the Armagnac along with 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat.
To assemble the dessert lay four cooked crepes out on a clean surface, spoon some of the cooked mango between the four crepes. Fold each crepe in half and then half again, use your hand to flatten the crepe a little.
Heat the remaining butter in a large pan over a medium heat and carefully add the crepes browning them in the butter, once golden in colour flip the crepes over and brown the other side, pour any remaining cooking liquor from the mango into the pan with the crepes and spoon the liquor over the crepes.
Serve the crepes immediately, drizzling any leftover liquor from the pan over the crepes, dust with icing sugar and serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Go an Aussie Mango
With only a month of good supply to go, Australians are being encouraged to 'Go an Aussie Mango' and snatch up the last delicious fruits of this season before it's too late!

Celebrity chef and a true lover of the golden fruit, Tobie Puttock, said now is the time to 'Go an Aussie Mango' and appreciate the versatility of the country's most popular summer fruit as the final harvest rounds off what has been an exceptional season.

"Every year I look forward to being able to eat a delicious home-grown mango on a balmy summer evening and this season the flavour and quality of the fruit is second to none," he said. "Mangoes truly are the flavour of summer and they're so quick and easy to prepare. I've been getting stuck into them fresh as a snack and incorporating them into some tasty meals."

Tobie said mangoes are one of the few fruits that can jump between sweet and savoury, making them an excellent summer staple in the kitchen.

"One of my favourite ingredients to serve with mango is maple syrup, it's so amazing! I also love to play with its sweetness by adding chilli or salty flavours such as fish sauce or prosciutto," he said.

Mangoes make the perfect addition to chicken and seafood dishes and are also great in fresh summer salads, desserts, cocktails, smoothies or fruit salads.

"Aussies, young and old, eat their way through around seven million trays every season and the options are endless with mangoes! There's a wide range of varieties for the whole family to appreciate and there is still an abundance of top notch fruit available to savour," Tobie said.
"You can also enjoy the rich, succulent flavour and sweetness without the guilt of over-indulging. They truly are one of nature's super fruits bursting with nutrients to help you stay healthy this summer."

Mangoes are high in energy, low in fat, low GI and are a great source of calcium and vitamins essential for good health. They provide up to three times the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A and C and are jam-packed with beta-carotene, fibre and potassium.

In addition to the popular choices, such as Kensington Pride, late season varieties such as Keitt, Pearl, Brooks and Palmer will be available in your local greengrocer or supermarket.

"By eating mangoes not only do you get to savour the goodness of these golden fruits, but you are also helping Australian farmers and supporting the domestic economy by purchasing seasonal local produce. So what are you waiting for," Tobie said.

Mangoes will be in good supply through to the end of January with some late season varieties available in February and March.

For more information and delicious recipes, visit www.mangoes.net.au