Cooking from the Heart 100 Great American Chefs Share Recipes They Cherish

Allen Susser LOBSTER AND MANGO SUMMER ROLLS I grew up in Brooklyn, where mango meant one of the tropical flavors in the fruit salad. Not exactly an earth-shattering encounter. So nothing prepared me for the experience of mangoes that greeted me in South Miami, where I came to live and work: the whole neighborhood possesses a deep ambrosia when the mango trees bloom, and the varieties of mangoes exceed anything I could have imagined. We have 150 kinds just in this region. In India, where mangoes have been cultivated for four thousand years, there are more than four hundred varieties. Bar none, the mango is the most popular fruit in the world, and every tropical culture uses its native fruit in distinct ways. Cubans love the Toledo mango, the Vianado. In Jamaica they prize the Julie or East Indian mango. The Edward, or the Zill, is popular in South Florida. Since moving here, I have been on a quest to sample as many kinds of mango as I can. Even on my travels I seek out new varieties; I think I'm up to 250 types. Some mangoes have peach and pineapple flavors, a tropical cinnamon aroma, and an aftertaste like pine or dried fruit or lemon. The Preacho, a Cuban mango, has a deep floral aroma with a distinct scent of candied orange peel. The Neillium is an Indian mango with clove and cinnamon aromas and red-berry, plum, and apricot flavors. The Madame Francis from Haiti has hints of anise, cinnamon, caramel, and fig. The mango's spectrum of colors is just as astonishing: green, pink, red, orange, red-orange, yellow, canary yellow, crimson, and ruby. And their size can range from the peach-size Cuban mangoes to the cantaloupe-size Mexican Oro mangoes. LOBSTER AND MANGO SUMMER ROLLS Serves 4 1 tablespoon coarse salt One 1 1/2-pound live Maine lobster 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 small Thai chile, seeded and minced 12 large Thai basil leaves, chopped 2 fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped 1 cup shredded arugula 1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and julienned 4 rice paper wrappers, 8 inches in diameter 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the salt, and plunge the lobster into the pot. Cover the pot and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the lobster from the water and transfer it to a platter to cool slightly. Crack the shell and remove the meat from the tail and claws. Freeze or discard the shells. Slice the meat and set aside. (The lobster can be prepared and refrigerated 1 day in advance.) 2. Combine the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and chile. Mix in the basil, cilantro, and arugula. Add the mango and toss gently. 3. Fill a shallow dish or pan with warm tap water and spread a cotton cloth on the work surface. Submerge a wrapper in the water for 10 to 30 seconds. Remove it from the water just as it turns limp and carefully spread the soggy wrapper flat onto the cotton cloth. Repeat with each wrapper. 4. Carefully retoss the salad and place a mound of the mixture in the middle of each wrapper. Divide the lobster meat evenly, placing the slices on top of each mound of salad. 5. To make the wrap, roll the bottom of the rice wrapper toward the middle, fold in both sides, and continue to roll toward the free edge. (If the wrapper cracks or doesn't roll easily, use a new wrapper and soak it longer.) X Cut the rolls on a diagonal and place the pieces on small plates, garnished with the remaining salad. When I first opened my restaurant, I placed a little 2 X 1-inch ad in the local Topical News--"I trade dinner for mangoes. Bring me your backyard fruit"--and it listed my phone number. I've done this every year since, and during the summer I almost have more fruit than I can use. Here's a typical story: A mango tree blooms in December or January, and as the months go on, the fruit forms so that by May or June the mangRosen, Michael J. is the author of 'Cooking from the Heart 100 Great American Chefs Share Recipes They Cherish' with ISBN 9780767913713 and ISBN 076791371X.