Scallops and Mexican Vegetables Rice
created by Challenger, Yosei Watanabe
Battle Mango
reverse-engineered by David J Rust

Ingredients:

Steps

1. Take three of the halved mangos and scoop out the seeds, leaving a divot into which the rice can be later served. Cover with plastic wrap and place the 6 halves into the refrigerator until later.

2. Chop all remaining mango pieces into small pieces.

3. Combine all other ingredients into a rice cooker and stir to evenly distribute. Cook the rice according to the cooker's instructions.

4. When done, allow the rice to rest, covered. Spoon even amounts into each of the reserved halves of mango. Serve.

Serves 6 as a medium side-dish.

Iron Chef Notes:

The challenger served this dish with a side of salsa that was described as very hot by the tasting panel. I think this is a good idea to combine the spicy with the sweetness of the rice. On a closer look, the salsa looked almost like pure tomatos. What I would suggest is combining tomatos with tobasco sauce, a few minced shallots and maybe a minced jallepeno pepper. This would make a simple, spicy salsa. Be sure to season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking Notes:

When peeling and seeding tomatos, start with some boiling water and submerge each, whole tomato for about a minute or until the skin starts to split. Remove them from the boiling water and plunge them into ice water. The skins should be easily removable at this point. Then, simply slit the tomatos open, remove the seeds and continue with the recipe.

I only wish that peeling and seeding mangos were as easy. It isn't. It requires a sharp knife and steady hands. Try cutting it lengthwise from tip to tip and then, gripping each half, twisting it lightly to pull it apart. The huge seed should be attached to one half or the other. Using a spoon, carefully scoop it out. Only practice can really make this any easier.