When you want a chile with distinctive flavor and a blast of heat for a salsa with Caribbean roots, the habanero is an obvious choice. It is native to the Caribbean basin, which includes the Yucatán region of Mexico. The flavor of habaneros has tropical overtones that perfectly complement fruit like mangoes and bananas. A little goes a long way—despite its diminutive size, it is the hottest of all chiles available in the United States and Mexico. This salsa makes a great condiment for pork, chicken, or fish.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 cups
Ingredients
2 large ripe mangoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 medium ripe bananas, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 red habanero chile, seeded and minced
1 sweet red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/8-inch dice
Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 small red onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Kosher salt
Preparation
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Serve immediately for the freshest flavor, but you can make this salsa 1 to 3 hours ahead.
Tacos by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Copyright © 2009 by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.
Mark Miller is the acclaimed chef-founder of Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has started and owned thirteen different restaurants on three continents from 1979 to 2008. He is the author of ten books with nearly 1 million copies in print, including Tacos, The Great Chile Book, The Great Salsa Book, and Coyote Cafe. Mark currently works in International Culinary Consulting and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Benjamin Hargett is a travel-loving chef who has cooked in Europe, the Carribean, Mexico, and the United States, where he worked with Mark Miller at the Coyote Café for many years.
