Recipe: Mango Pie

Mango Pie

Short Crust Pastry For 9-inch Pie Plate:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons lard, chilled and cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold water

Sift the flour, sugar and salt together into a large bowl. Rub the fat into the flour with the fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle water over the mixture and mix lightly to a stiffish dough. Gather into a ball, wrap in waxed paper and chill until firm enough to roll out.

Turn on to a floured board and roll out into a circle large enough to line the pie plate. Brush the pie plate with melted butter. Roll the pastry round the rollig pin and unroll it into the pie plate, Press the pastry lightly into the sides of the pan, and over the rim. Trim away any excess, and crimp the edges with a fork or the fingers. Prick the bottom with a fork.

Bake shell on the center of an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. If air bubbles form, prick bottom of shell 2 or 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking. Cool before chilling.

Filling For Pie:
Large, fleshy mango, weighing about 1 1/2 pounds
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon arrowroot

Carefully peel the mango. Feel with the tip of a small, sharp knife where the seed is, and cut off 2 slices lengthwise, down each side of the mango as close to the seed as possible. Cut each slice into lengthwise strips about 1/4-inch thick, sprinkle with a little of the lime juice and set aside. Cut all the remaining flesh off the seed. There should be about 1 cup of pulp.

Put the pulp into a saucepan with the sugar, remaining lime juice and water and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

Rub through a sieve, return to the saucepan and stir in the arrowroot mixed with a little cold water, and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.

Arrange the mango slices in the baked pastry shell in an overlapping pattern, using the shorter pieces to fill in the sides. Spoon the puree over these pieces evenly. Chill well before serving. Serve plain, or with custard, whipped cream, or ice cream to taste.

Servings: 6