Saturday was one of those perfect spring days that keeps me hooked on notion that New York is the best place to live in the world (despite mounting evidence to the contrary). It was the kind of day that makes you want to climb up onto a Williamsberg rooftop and smoke 5 lbs. of knackwurst while chowing down on grass fed beef hot dogs covered in green mango relish…. And that’s exactly what we did.
A couple of weeks ago while having dinner over at Claire’s, the culinary geekery was off the charts. With food neurons firing away at bore, we got this crazy idea into our heads of making Choucroute Garnie from scratch; and by “from scratch”, I mean the sausage and sauerkraut as well.
For the better part of 2 weeks now, I’ve been living with the stench of a living vat of cabbage in my bedroom closet. On Friday I got the call that Claire and Stephane would be smoking the sausages the following day. L and I were invited over to share in the rooftop fire making, lured with the promise of 2 grass fed La Cense Beef hot dogs on homemade buns.
I offered to bring something along, and it was around then that Claire confided that she’d somehow managed to go an entire lifetime without ever having consumed a hot dog. Sure, she’s spent most of that time in more glamorous parts of the world, where the term “hot dog” is more likely to elicit images of an overheating canine than something you would stick in your mouth; but she’s spent the past 8 months living in New York City, home of the pushcart dirty water dogs and the infamous Crif Dogs.
I’d originally set out to make a green tomato relish, but after visiting 2 farmers markets and a Wholefoods, I came up empty handed. Scouring the produce section for something suitable for relish making, it occurred to me that green mango (as in unripe mango) would have the perfect crunch and tang I was looking for.
This piquant green mango relish is ridiculously easy to make, and it tastes considerably better than the fluorescent green corn syrup they try to pass off as relish in the condiment aisle. While it was great on the hotdog, it’s similar enough to chutney that you could eat it with curries or in sandwiches as well. Try making it without your favourite blend of spices and green fruit (green peaches, plums and tomatoes come to mind).
Ingredients
- 1 mango large green cut into rough chunks
- 1/2 onion cut into rough chunks
- 1/4 cups parsley fresh stems removed
- 1/3 cups maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons whole mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 2 tabelspoons white vinegar
Steps
- Put the mango, onion and parsley into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mango is diced into pebble sized pieces.
- Dump the contents into a saucepan and add the maple syrup, salt, mustard, coriander, cumin, and vinegar. Place over a medium flame and heat until it comes to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the mango starts turning translucent, but is still a little crunchy.
- Turn off the heat, allow to cool and store in the refrigerator until use.
Oh, this is brilliant. How green does the mango need to be?
Note to self—invite Marc to a barbecue.
Lovely relish Marc! Hey, if I were a food snob, I’d say (with arched eyebrow), “Ketchup on a hotdog?! Seriously?!” 😀 Sounds like a good time was had by all. Hope your closet is back to smelling like a normal closet and not a Sauerkraut Den!
Your mango relish sounds great! Don’t judge: I like tofu dogs, and the more flavorful the toppings the better. I’m going to have to try this.
This is brilliant, Marc. I can taste it just looking at the picture and the ingredient list. I’ve bookmarked this recipe to try later this summer when I visit Thailand. It will be fun to try this recipe with 6-7 different types of mango.
The stench was worth it.
It looks great!
I love the Williamsburg rooftop photos.
Very clever, Marc. The boyfriend and I are pretty keen on homemade condiments. I can’t wait to try this. Green papayas are pretty easy to find in my neighborhood. A fine substitute, perhaps?
Oh, this is brilliant. How green does the mango need to be?
Note to self—invite Marc to a barbecue.
Lovely relish Marc! Hey, if I were a food snob, I’d say (with arched eyebrow), “Ketchup on a hotdog?! Seriously?!” 😀 Sounds like a good time was had by all. Hope your closet is back to smelling like a normal closet and not a Sauerkraut Den!
Well, we needed to keep some measure of authenticity;-)
Your mango relish sounds great! Don’t judge: I like tofu dogs, and the more flavorful the toppings the better. I’m going to have to try this.
This is brilliant, Marc. I can taste it just looking at the picture and the ingredient list. I’ve bookmarked this recipe to try later this summer when I visit Thailand. It will be fun to try this recipe with 6-7 different types of mango.
I have two mango trees brimming with green mangos right behind me as I am working in my home office now. I was going to make chutney but this sounds really great.
spring is creeping up on us. Beautiful pic.
Fermented cabbage in your room sounds the ultimate cock block.
Love homemade sausage! My friend makes them for me. Brats, italian spicy, lamb. I was thinking of doing morcilla, inspired by some I just bought from the store… but where do you buy blood for sausage making?
I had a bbq too. like someone who is hanging onto winter for no apparent reason, I made brandade. oops.
The stench was worth it.
It looks great!
I love the Williamsburg rooftop photos.
Very clever, Marc. The boyfriend and I are pretty keen on homemade condiments. I can’t wait to try this. Green papayas are pretty easy to find in my neighborhood. A fine substitute, perhaps?
You may need to add a bit more vinegar since they’re not quite as tart as green mangoes, but that should be pretty tasty as well:-)
This is extremely irritating, Marc. It’s the second time I’m seeing a delicious looking green mango recipe in the past couple of days, and I haven’t seen any green mangoes on sale here.
Love the choucroute garnie-from-scratch idea. My hats off to you guys. I wish I had more like-minded/crazy friends who’d want to throw themselves into a project like that.
I have two mango trees brimming with green mangos right behind me as I am working in my home office now. I was going to make chutney but this sounds really great.
spring is creeping up on us. Beautiful pic.
Fermented cabbage in your room sounds the ultimate cock block.
Love homemade sausage! My friend makes them for me. Brats, italian spicy, lamb. I was thinking of doing morcilla, inspired by some I just bought from the store… but where do you buy blood for sausage making?
I had a bbq too. like someone who is hanging onto winter for no apparent reason, I made brandade. oops.
With green mango and maple in the title I just had to take a look! I just found some green mangoes on the weekend for the first time and then here is a use for them. The relish sounds good.
This is extremely irritating, Marc. It’s the second time I’m seeing a delicious looking green mango recipe in the past couple of days, and I haven’t seen any green mangoes on sale here.
Love the choucroute garnie-from-scratch idea. My hats off to you guys. I wish I had more like-minded/crazy friends who’d want to throw themselves into a project like that.
With green mango and maple in the title I just had to take a look! I just found some green mangoes on the weekend for the first time and then here is a use for them. The relish sounds good.
Love the mango relish! Looks like a great time was had by all too!!
Love the mango relish! Looks like a great time was had by all too!!
Yummy! I’ve been waiting to see these photos since you teased about it on Twitter! Well worth the wait – what a beautiful day it was.
Love the rooftop picture — it epitomizes city living. Way to put your signature twist on a timeless favorite. Yum!
Yummy! I’ve been waiting to see these photos since you teased about it on Twitter! Well worth the wait – what a beautiful day it was.
I haven’t get used to cook with Mango, I only eat it as a dessert, but I should learn from you… it sounds delicious!!!!
marc,
I’ll add this to my summer “preserves” list – but since we don’t often see unripe mangoes in Oregon, I think I’ll try it with under-ripe plums (which I have in abundance). One question, about how much mango do you have when you have cut it off the pit? That’ll help me make the shift from mango to plum.
Thanks for the recipe.
john
This looks amazing – totally just added inspiration for this weekend’s grilling!
Ah, how’s that for reversal?! Green mangoes are everywhere here, and yet it seems like I’m the only one who doesn’t eat them. Having them as a sweet pickle is sure to remedy that 🙂
“Hot dog virgin?” Foul!! 😛
Love the rooftop picture — it epitomizes city living. Way to put your signature twist on a timeless favorite. Yum!
I haven’t get used to cook with Mango, I only eat it as a dessert, but I should learn from you… it sounds delicious!!!!
marc,
I’ll add this to my summer “preserves” list – but since we don’t often see unripe mangoes in Oregon, I think I’ll try it with under-ripe plums (which I have in abundance). One question, about how much mango do you have when you have cut it off the pit? That’ll help me make the shift from mango to plum.
Thanks for the recipe.
john
This looks amazing – totally just added inspiration for this weekend’s grilling!
Ah, how’s that for reversal?! Green mangoes are everywhere here, and yet it seems like I’m the only one who doesn’t eat them. Having them as a sweet pickle is sure to remedy that 🙂
“Hot dog virgin?” Foul!! 😛
I can totally get behind this. I love hot dogs and all their toppings, and this definitely works.
I’ve just been eating my under-ripe mangoes with salt and pepper.
I can totally get behind this. I love hot dogs and all their toppings, and this definitely works.
I’ve just been eating my under-ripe mangoes with salt and pepper.
If you had a cart on the corner and sold these things, I’d line up every day for one. 😉
If you had a cart on the corner and sold these things, I’d line up every day for one. 😉
Love the idea of a green mango relish and those dogs look damnedly delicious!
Although. . .part of me is saying I’d love to have some green mango and bagoong too. . .I loved your bulalo post!
Love the idea of a green mango relish and those dogs look damnedly delicious!
Although. . .part of me is saying I’d love to have some green mango and bagoong too. . .I loved your bulalo post!
was looking to replicate Puka Dogs’ lilikoi (passionfruit) mustard and mango relish dog. May have found it.
was looking to replicate Puka Dogs’ lilikoi (passionfruit) mustard and mango relish dog. May have found it.
thanks!as a NYer now living in Costa Rica (and with an abundance of green mangoes), it was great to read your story and think about being on my own Brooklyn rooftop cooking and eating with friends.¡Pura Vida!ps..i will be making this relish this week with the 4 mangoes i got at the market and had no idea what to do with.
thanks!as a NYer now living in Costa Rica (and with an abundance of green mangoes), it was great to read your story and think about being on my own Brooklyn rooftop cooking and eating with friends.¡Pura Vida!ps..i will be making this relish this week with the 4 mangoes i got at the market and had no idea what to do with.
Have been looking for a green mango recipe and will definately be using this one. Can’t wait to taste it.!! Thanks.
Bookmarked! Another recipe I cant wait to try.
Bookmarked! Another recipe I cant wait to try.
Hey, it sounds lovely but it is not a vegan recipe 🙂