A Mango for All Seasons

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Mango Chicken

Steamed Rice

Steamed Chinese broccoli

Almond cookies and lime sherbet

You used to have to wait until summer to get mangoes at their peak. Now, thanks to the sweet slices of bottled mangoes that are turning up in markets, you can eat them throughout the year.

Mangoes are wonderful eaten plain, but in both Asia and South America, the juicy tropical fruit is added to both sweet and savory dishes. Adding mangoes is an easy way to instantly make a dish more festive.

Like most Chinese stir-fries, it takes longer to assemble the ingredients for this tangy-sweet Mango Chicken than it does to cook it. The mangoes are best added at the end, if you want to preserve their shape and color. On the other hand, simmering them a bit longer changes the character of the dish, making it slightly sweeter.

To add a little crispness, stir in some sliced water chestnuts, Chinese pea pods or green pepper just after you add the chicken strips. And be sure to serve it with plenty of rice to soak up the pungent sweet and sour sauce.

Staples

Soy sauce

Cornstarch

Garlic

Oil

Sugar

Rice for accompaniment

Shopping

4 boneless chicken breast halves

1 small bottle dry white wine or Sherry

1 small bottle sesame oil

1 small ginger root

1 bunch green onions

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can clear chicken broth or 1/2 cup homemade chicken broth

1 lime

1 (16-ounce) jar mango slices

Optional Shopping

1 bunch Chinese broccoli

Almond cookies

Lime sherbet

MANGO CHICKEN

4 boneless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon dry white wine or Sherry

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 (1-inch) piece ginger root

4 cloves garlic

4 green onions, white parts with bit of green

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 (16-ounce) jar mango slices, drained

1 teaspoon sugar, optional

Remove skins from chicken, if desired. Cut into 3-inch wide strips. Place chicken strips in bowl. Add white wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Peel ginger and mince. Add half of minced ginger to chicken.

Crush garlic and set aside. Thinly slice green onions and set aside.

Combine remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with chicken broth, stirring to dissolve.

Heat vegetable oil in non-stick wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry 1 minute. Add chicken and stir-fry 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Add remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Add green onions and cook few seconds.

Stir in chicken broth-cornstarch mixture and heat just until bubbly. Add lime juice, mango slices, sugar and remaining sesame oil. Cook few seconds just to heat through. Makes 4 servings.

Note: If desired substitute 2 large, fresh ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced for bottled mango slices.

Each serving, prepared with skin on, contains about:

216 calories; 618 mg sodium; 14 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.00 grams fiber; 49% calories from fat.