Batido de Mamey
La Ventanita at Home (Mornings & Miami Rhythms)
If there is a defining flavor of the Cuban tropics, it is mamey. It is a gorgeous, salmon-pink fruit that tastes like a miraculous hybrid of sweet potato, cherry, and toasted almond. In the diaspora, a true batido is not some Americanized milkshake bloated with vanilla ice cream. The secret lies in the island's pantry: a heavy pour of sweetened condensed milk, a tiny pinch of salt to make the flavor explode, and the absolute mandate to drink it immediately before the fruit's natural enzymes turn bitter. It is a nostalgic lifeline to the homeland, poured straight into a frosted glass.
Ingredients
- frozen mamey pulp14 oz
- whole milk1 1/2 cup
- sweetened condensed milk1/4 cup
- white granulated sugar1 tbsp
- crushed ice1 cup
- kosher salt1 pinch
- pure vanilla extract1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Combine the ingredients in a high-speed blender.
Drop the broken chunks of mamey pulp into the pitcher along with the cold whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, crushed ice, kosher salt, and vanilla extract.
- 02
Blend until perfectly emulsified.
Start the blender on low to break up the ice and frozen fruit, then increase the speed to high. Blend for a full one to two minutes until the mixture is incredibly smooth, frothy, and a vibrant coral-pink color.
- 03
Taste and adjust the balance.
Pause the blender and taste. If the mamey is slightly tart, add another spoonful of condensed milk or sugar. If the batido is too thick, thin it with a splash of whole milk.
- 04
Pour and serve immediately.
Divide into tall, frosted glasses and drink right away. Do not let the shake sit in the fridge for later, or the fruit's natural enzymes will quickly develop a bitter aftertaste.
Notes
Using fresh mamey sapote.
If you have access to a Latin grocer that sells fresh mamey sapote, look for one that yields slightly when pressed, exactly like a ripe avocado. Slice it in half lengthwise, remove the large pit, and scoop out the flesh. Use about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fresh flesh, and double the amount of ice since you are no longer using frozen fruit.
From Cook Cuban in America.