DINING WITH EMMA - Perfect papaya

Emma Sharp, Contributor

Bursting with flavours, this oval-shaped fruit is more than just a breakfast food. It is full of proteolytic enzymes that enable the digestion of protein. For precisely this reason, papaya may be used as a meat tenderiser, and goes particularly well with the stronger red and game meats. Simply add puréed or mashed papaya to any marinade that you are using, and soak the meat in it for a minimum of 24 hours. The longer you do it, the better. Make sure everything is kept in the fridge for the duration though!

Papaya is an excellent source of vitamin C, and contains very good amounts of folate, potassium, and soluble fibre. The latter lends itself to aiding those with digestive illnesses, such as colon cancer and Crohn's disease. No one knows if this fabulous fruit is a complete cure for one's health, but there is no doubt that it assists in its improvement and maintenance.

Ripe papaya can be used to make an array of different desserts; ice creams, crumbles, pies, fillings for cakes, and more. However, they are so sweet you might need to cut down on the amount of sugar you'd usually use in these recipes, or add some fresh lime or lemon juice. The fact is, you can take any recipe which you have for other fruits, and substitute with papaya.

Readiness

So how do you know when a papaya is ripe? Gently press the stem end of the fruit, and if it 'gives' even slightly, then it is ready. In order to stop the ripening process, keep the fruit in the fridge. If you do buy papayas when they are still greenish, place them in a bowl (outside of the fridge), along with a hand of bananas. Alternatively, you can make savoury salads and salsas with them. The former are best made with completely green fruit.

Despite the times we are living in, which have caused supermarkets to run low on various food items, dozens of papayas are on the shelves waiting for you to see them as the essential ingredient to have in your kitchen. Who knew they were perfect for so many different dishes!

Emma@sharpactionfood.com or emmadaltonbrown@gmail.com

Emma's papaya recipes

Papaya Smoothie

2 ripe papaya, seeded and

flesh scooped out

1 ripe banana, peeled and

sliced

Juice of 1 grapefruit

1 tbs chopped mint

8 ice cubes

Method

1 Place all the ingredients into a blender and whiz until smooth.

2 Pour into 1 very large glass, or 2 small ones.

Papaya Salsa

1 unripe papaya, seeded,

peeled and diced

2 small plummy tomatoes,

diced

2 tbs finely chopped onion

1 tbs finely shredded mint

and cilantro

¹/⁴ tsp finely chopped

scotch bonnet pepper

Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1 Place all the ingredients in a bowl, and gently mix.

2. Serve with any seafood, meat or poultry.

Dressing for Green Papaya Salad

3 tbs Thai fish sauce

3 tbs brown sugar

3 garlic cloves, finely

chopped

¹/⁴ tsp finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper

1-2 tbs fresh lime juice

Method

1 Place the fish sauce and sugar in a small pot over low heat.

2 Stir until sugar dissolves, then remove from heat.

3 Pour into a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and mix well.

4 Use this dressing on finely sliced or shredded green papaya, along with other salad ingredients, such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans etc. Grilled or smoked fish also go well with this kind of salad.