Caramelized Mango Lime Tapioca Food

CARAMELIZED MANGO-LIME TAPIOCA

Steps:

• Stir milk, sugar, tapioca, eggs, lime peel and salt in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and just comes to boil, about 10 minutes. Transfer pudding to large bowl. Lay plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding and cool to lukewarm. Mix in vanilla. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Stir to loosen before continuing.)
• Preheat broiler. Divide mango among eight 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Spoon pudding atop mango, dividing equally. Smooth tops with spatula. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons brown sugar evenly over each pudding. Let stand until sugar begins to melt, about 10 minutes. Broil until sugar bubbles all over, watching closely and turning frequently, about 4 minutes. Serve warm.

COCONUT-LEMONGRASS TAPIOCA WITH CARAMELIZED CITRUS

Steps:

• In a small pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add the tapioca pearls and simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until the tapioca is softened and almost all the way translucent, 12 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and allow the tapioca to steam and cook through completely, 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover it and refrigerate until ready to serve. You can prepare the tapioca up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
• Wash out the pot and pour in the coconut milk. Add the lemongrass, the ginger and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Bring up to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and zest the lime into the milk. Allow the infused milk to steep while you prepare the fruit and the caramel.
• Remove the tops and bottoms of the citrus by cutting the ends with a sharp knife so each fruit sits flat on your work surface. Cut the citrus peels off into strips, running your knife down the length of the fruit and carefully removing the white pith as you slice. Cut each fruit crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds and remove any visible seeds.
• Make a caramel: Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. Add the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and forms a light golden syrup, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook the syrup until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more, lowering the heat slightly if necessary to avoid scorching. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons maple syrup, squeeze in the juice of the lime and add remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Remove from heat and carefully add the fruit, a couple of pieces at a time, swirling the pan to coat the pieces in syrup. The hot syrup may bubble and splatter, so be careful here. If the caramel forms hard clumps around the citrus slices, return the skillet to heat over medium-low and continue to cook, swirling the caramel around the citrus pieces, until any hard clumps dissolve, 2 minutes.
• Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the coconut milk into a medium bowl, pressing down on the aromatics in the sieve before discarding.
• To serve, scoop a few spoonfuls of the tapioca into shallow bowls. Ladle the infused coconut milk over the top, add several slices of citrus and spoon in some of the caramel glaze. Drizzle with some maple syrup and garnish with the crushed pistachio, if using.

COCONUT TAPIOCA WITH PINEAPPLE, MANGO, AND LIME

Steps:

• 1. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, coconut milk, and vanilla and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Stir in the tapioca, decrease the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the tapioca is softened. The tapioca will become translucent and will no longer have a white center when it is fully cooked.
• 2. Meanwhile, put the pineapple (either fresh or canned with juice) and the apple juice concentrate in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the juice.
• 3. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer the juice and fruit for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the juice becomes thick and syrupy. It will thicken up and boil a little slower as it reduces. Watch out that it does not over-boil or burn; you may need to decrease the heat as it thickens. Remove from the heat and strain the pineapple from the juice. Put the pineapple in a bowl and refrigerate until chilled.
• 4. Remove the tapioca from the heat and stir in the reduced juice and the salt. Transfer the tapioca mixture to a bowl, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until it cools completely, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
• 5. Right before serving, fold about half of the diced mango and the lime juice into the tapioca. Divide the pudding evenly into clear glasses. Fold the remaining mango into the reserved chopped pineapple. Spoon the fruit on top of the pudding to cover in an even layer. Garnish with a little grated lime zest. Serve immediately.