This salad has a fresh acid bite that makes it almost too sharp to eat on its own, but it’s perfect when teamed with something rich or fatty, such as Spicy Pulled Pork. It would also be great with fried chicken or fish. Any leftover salad will keep well refrigerated for a day or two.
Ingredients
—¼ cup coconut chips 1-2 dried chipotle chillies 1 tsp olive oil 3 kaffir lime leaves Finely grated zest 1 lime 2 Tbsp lime juice Pinch caster (superfine granulated) sugar Pinch of flaky sea salt 1 unripe mango
Method
—1 Toast coconut in a small frying pan (skillet) over a low heat until it takes on some colour (keep an eye on it as it darkens quickly once it gets hot).
2 Wipe out pan, and oil and increase heat to medium. When oil is nice and hot add chipotle chillies and for cook 30 seconds on each side. Cool, then chop roughly, discarding seeds and stems.
3 Coarsely chop kaffir limes leaves, discarding centre ribs. Pound lime leaves, lime zest and juice, sugar, salt and chillies with a mortar and pestle until everything is crushed, or blitz in a mini-prep food processor. Alternatively, finely chop chillies, lime leaves and zest with a knife, then stir in lime juice, sugar and salt.
4 Peel mango and remove flesh in slices (about 0.5cm/¼” thick), then cut into thin strips. Put mango in a serving bowl and spoon over dirty dressing. Top with toasted coconut and serve.
Recipe Notes
A red jalapeno chilli becomes a chipotle once it is smoke-dried. Chipotle are not searingly hot, although the heat level can vary, and they have a delicious earthy smokiness to them. If you think the chipotle chillies you are using (taste a dot of one off the end of a toothpick), are blindingly hot, then hold back, and just use one chilli in this dressing.
If chipotle chillies are not available, used a canned chipotle chilli in adobo (in sauce). These tend to be very hot, so half a chilli will most likely be enough to give a pleasant buzz.
Choose a mango that is still very firm (unripe), though not rock hard and green. Coriander and mint are both good additions to this salad. If the accompanying dishes you are serving don’t include these herbs, add a couple of tablespoons of either finely chopped mint or coriander (cilantro) to the finished salad and toss through.
Find other recipes here:
Pulled pork buns
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