Category Archive

Here’s a cold soup with a wonderfully fruity taste. It nicely combines mangos and Scotch bonnet chiles, but you can substitute any fresh chile that you have on hand. From the article Mango Madness!

Ingredients

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped Scotch bonnet
1 cup chopped mango
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place the pineapple, cucumbers, green onion, Scotch bonnet, mango, and bell pepper in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients and salt to taste and stir well.

Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

This dish is really worth the effort as it makes a very elegant and highly tropical presentation. To test if a coconut is fresh, pound a nail into one of the “eyes,” drain the coconut water and taste. If it tastes sweet it is fresh. Go ahead, mix a drink with some of the coconut water and rum or Scotch. You’ll be surprised by how good it tastes. Open the coconut by baking at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes and let cool. Then, using a hacksaw, cut it in half. From the article Mango Madness!

Ingredients

2 fresh coconuts, drained, liquid reserved, and cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless chicken, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 onion, minced
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons curry paste (available in Asian markets)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup light cream
1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced
Garnishes: Chopped fresh cilantro, reserved toasted grated coconut

Instructions

Cut the coconuts in half and cut out the coconut meat, leaving 1/4-inch of the meat attached to the nuts. Cut 2 cups of the meat into thin slivers and grate 1 cup of the remaining meat.

Preheat the broiler and sprinkle the grated coconut onto a pan and place it under the broiler. Toast for 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until the coconut is golden brown.

Sauté the garlic for 1 minute in the butter and oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken and saute until browned. Remove and keep warm. Add the onion, Scotch bonnet, ginger, and reserved coconut slivers. Saute for an additional 5 minutes.

Stir in the reserved coconut water and cilantro and return the chicken. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, curry paste, cumin, and cloves, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl. Add to the chicken mixture along with the mango and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Spoon the mixture into the coconut shells, garnish with the chopped cilantro and toasted coconut and serve.

Chris Schlesinger, of the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Massachusetts, sent us this recipe, which was published in an early issue of Chile Pepper magazine. The sharp spiciness of the chile combines easily with mellow sweetness of the mango to create a strong by not overpowering accompaniment for the creamy taste of the scallops. From the article Mango Madness!

Ingredients

1 cup rocotillo chiles, seeds and stems removed, minced, or substitute 1 habanero plus 5 yellow wax chiles
1 small purple onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
2 ripe mangos, peeled and diced
Juice of 3 oranges
1/2 cup pineapple juice
Juice of 4 limes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 pounds sea scallops
Water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the relish, in a bowl combine all the ingredients, except the scallops, water, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Blanch the scallops in boiling water in a saucepan for 2 1/2 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Thread the scallops on skewers and grill over a medium hot fire until they are golden brown on the outside and opaque throughout, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Make a bed of the relish on each plate and place the scallops on top and serve.