Mango Milkshake with Coconut Sorbet & Sago

Of all the things I like to whinge about in the sticky, humid hotter months in Sydney, one thing that I absolutely love is the massive amounts of mangoes available. Mangoes are one of my absolute favourite fruits, and I'm really glad to see them showing up in the markets more and more as the weather warms up. I felt like doing a mango shake with a twist, by adding some easy homemade coconut sorbet and sago pearls. It's actually more of a thickshake, because I prefer my milkshakes to be thick, rich and creamy. And it's the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of the warmer weather with something fresh and easy.

I've always loved sago pearls since I was little; my Mum would always make bubur cha cha (is that how you spell it? I'm never sure.), a sweet dessert soup with sago pearls, taro and sweet potato pieces and flavoured with pandan and palm sugar. We called the sago pearls 'frog eggs', because of their look and texture and while that might sound gross to some people, I've always been fascinated with them. And then on a recent visit to Universal restaurant I was totally blown away by the desserts, one of which included a gorgeous tapioca pearl cream. I ate it with child-like glee and I was immediately inspired to start using either tapioca or sago pearls in desserts as soon as possible.

Lisa managed to pick me up some beautifully ripe mangoes from Harris Farm Markets, and also these amazingly addictive roasted coconut chips. I knew I had to use them together for this dessert. I blended up the mango with evaporated milk (inspired by the mango, sago & pomelo dessert you usually have at yum cha), and coconut sorbet. I was tempted to just use store-bought sorbet, but ended up adapting Lisa's easy recipe for homemade coconut sorbet. It's so easy and takes about 5 minutes of preparation, so it's definitely worth the extra effort.

I just love the addition of sago pearls to this drink. It's definitely something that you need to drink through a straw, so that you get the little pops of bubbles, like a mini bubble tea. The drink is quite rich and thick, so you don't need too much to be satisfied. Although you could always adjust the amount of each ingredients to make it less rich and thick if you like. The roasted coconut chips that I crumbled up and sprinkled on top was the perfect topping, but regular toasted coconut flakes would work just as well. I think this shake, served in small portions in little milk bottles with paper straws would be so cute to serve to guests.

Mango Shake with Coconut Sorbet & Sago Pearls
(makes enough to serve 4-5 people)
2 medium mangoes, peeled and stone removed (about 300-400g)
1 cup evaporated milk (I used light, can also be substituted with regular milk)
Coconut sorbet (store-bought, or see below for easy homemade recipe)
30g (about 1/8 cup) small sago pearls (you can substitute with tapioca pearls but you will have to adjust the cooking method to suit the tapioca)
Optional: Toasted coconut flakes or roasted coconut chips to top off, and extra cubes of mango

For the coconut sorbet (adapted from spicyicecream):
1 x 400g coconut cream
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp caster sugar

If you're making your own coconut sorbet, prepare it the day before; Place sugar and water in a small saucepan on medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 mins. Whisk in the coconut cream until smooth. Chill mixture for at least an hour, then churn in an ice-cream maker according the manufacturer's instructions (or freeze until frozen, stirring mixture every 30 minutes).

Prepare the sago pearls; fill a small saucepan 3/4 full with water and bring to the boil. Add sago pearls and boil until the pearls just turn completely transparent (about 10-15 mins). Make sure not to over cook the pearls or they will turn to mush. As soon as they are just cooked, drain in a sieve and run under cold water. Puree mango flesh in a blender or food processor until smooth. In a blender or milkshake maker, place puree, evaporated milk and about 4-5 scoops of coconut sorbet and pulse until smooth. You may need to adjust the amount of milk and sorbet to taste, depending on how thick you want it. Gradually add and stir in the sago pearls, depending on how much you want. I used about 2 tbsp per person. Top off with another scoop of coconut sorbet, toasted coconut and mango pieces. Serve immediately in glasses with straws.