Jan 06 2008
Mango salsa

This is a beautiful colorful salsa that goes well with meat, poultry and seafood dishes.
Ingredients:
1 medium red onion
2 tsp salt
2 firm mangoes
1 orange bell pepper
4 red jalapeños
2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 orange
1 tsp cumin
Preparation:
- Dice onion very finely and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of salt, let rest for about 10 minutes
- Peel mango and dice into small pieces
- Dice bell pepper very finely
- Dice jalapeños very finely, I removed the seeds and membranes to make the salsa mild since the kids love it, but if you would like it spicier add them to the salsa, or you can also use a spicier hot pepper such as serranos or habaneros.
- Mix the lime, orange juice, cilantro and cumin together
- Rinse the onions with warm water
- Mix all the ingredients together and serve.



A tip someone gave me once was to add a splash or two of triple sec into my mango salsa… kicks it up a bit for a twist!
Great idea, I love anything that kicks it up!
For a fresher taste, I would add 2 tbsp. of mint to this recipe. Also, try adding 1 tbsp. honey to balance the acidity; trust me, it makes a world of difference. The splash of triple sec sounds like a great idea, but I would definitely leave out the cumin. The pure, healthy, fresh flavor of mango salsa should not be ruined by such a strong, complex spice. The mango will lose its main focus if cumin is added, especially 1 teaspoon! Good job by the way. I love your recipes!
Laylita… I made this last night again. Haven’t made it in awhile and was suprised how much the recipe makes – enough for about 5 people. In the previous post, I mentioned adding some honey, but this time I found something great in the supermarket… Agave Nectar! The stuff that tequila is made from. It was soooo good. Just like honey but with a better, more tropical flavor. It was right next to the honey in the isle, so if you see it, I suggest that you pick some up! I also doubled the cilantro and mint in the recipe for a fresher flavor.
Oh, I wanted to ask you… have you ever quickly blanched your onion for fresh salsas? 30 seconds boiling water, 30 seconds cold water, then drain. I did this here and it removed the harsh flavor of the onion while still keeping it crisp.
Chef Rob – Thanks for the suggestions; depending on the onions – some are spicier/harsher than others – I soak them in hot water with some salt and lime juice, or I just put the lime juice directly on the onions and let them rest for a few minutes while I prepare the rest of the ingredients. What do you usually eat this salsa with, seafood? Or just with chips?
I tossed the salsa with shrimp and it was delcious – a little spicy with 4 red jalapenos for most people, but I enjoyed it. Most people could probably tolerate 2 of them in this salsa.
That sounds really good, I will have to try that.