Mango & Habanero Salsa
With the weather getting warmer, it's time to make some salsa! Here is the recipe I use for Mango & Habanero salsa. It's easy to make and very delicious, but also on the spicy side. If the habanero is too much, you can also replace it with jalapenos or other peppers and have the same result, taste-wise.
A word about habaneros (from Fiery Foods): Since habaneros have the highest concentration of capsaicin (outside of the Naga Jolokia), they are the most dangerous in terms of burns. For people sensitive to capsaicin, it can cause contact dermatitis just like poison ivy. It is particularly dangerous when it comes into contact with sensitive body parts like the eyes.
It is not merely enough to wear gloves when handling habaneros. The gloves and the cutting board used to chop them should be cleaned with bleach and a strong dish detergent to avoid transferring the capsaicin to other surfaces where it might be retransferred accidentally to the eyes. Cooks talented with knives have learned how to clean and chop an habanero without touching it with their fingers.
If you should get capsaicin in your eyes, immediately flush them with water or an eyewash. The pain will be intense, but it will soon go away. Should your fingers or hands burn from capsaicin contact, the best treatment is to submerge them in vegetable oil.
Without further ado, here's the recipe....enjoy!
Mango & Habanero Salsa
2 mangos, peeled and diced
¼ cup red onion, minced
½ tomato, diced
1 habanero, seeded and diced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp kosher salt
Juice of 1 lime
Blend ingredients in a food processor until almost smooth. (You can blend more or less for desired chunkiness - I like mine a bit chunky, it stays on the chip a bit better.)
A word about habaneros (from Fiery Foods): Since habaneros have the highest concentration of capsaicin (outside of the Naga Jolokia), they are the most dangerous in terms of burns. For people sensitive to capsaicin, it can cause contact dermatitis just like poison ivy. It is particularly dangerous when it comes into contact with sensitive body parts like the eyes.
It is not merely enough to wear gloves when handling habaneros. The gloves and the cutting board used to chop them should be cleaned with bleach and a strong dish detergent to avoid transferring the capsaicin to other surfaces where it might be retransferred accidentally to the eyes. Cooks talented with knives have learned how to clean and chop an habanero without touching it with their fingers.
If you should get capsaicin in your eyes, immediately flush them with water or an eyewash. The pain will be intense, but it will soon go away. Should your fingers or hands burn from capsaicin contact, the best treatment is to submerge them in vegetable oil.
Without further ado, here's the recipe....enjoy!
Mango & Habanero Salsa
2 mangos, peeled and diced
¼ cup red onion, minced
½ tomato, diced
1 habanero, seeded and diced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp kosher salt
Juice of 1 lime
Blend ingredients in a food processor until almost smooth. (You can blend more or less for desired chunkiness - I like mine a bit chunky, it stays on the chip a bit better.)