Cabo-Style Pineapple Habanero Salsa

By Heidi Allison

Used in roasted pork, grilled fish or shrimp salads, Pineapple Habanero Salsa is a spicy, fruit-forward raw sauce used in the Baja region of Mexico. Served with freshly fried and salted corn chips, it makes a great appetizer, but it also shines with grilled fish, poached and chilled shrimp salad or roasted octopus’ entrée; the flavor is best when served at room temperature.

To keep the heat level in check, make sure to remove the chile pepper seeds and veins—the majority of capsaicin, the chemical responsible for a chile’s “bite,” is found in this area. A hack for using this hot pepper is freezing it whole, then cutting off the placenta (top), cutting it into eighths, and scraping out the seeds and veins with the tip of a knife or spoon. If you are sensitive to the pepper’s heat, make sure to wear disposable gloves, and wash your hands before you touch your eyes or face after handling a habanero. Also, add one-half a frozen, deveined and seeded habanero to the recipe and test it before adding the second one—that may be just the right amount of spice if you are not a chili head. This raw sauce should be allowed to sit in the fridge for several hours before serving, which allows the flavors to fully develop. However, serve the sauce at room temperature for a more intense flavor.

Cabo-Style Pineapple Habanero Salsa
Makes: 2 cups

Ingredients
1 pound of Honeyglow® Pineapple chunks, about 2 heaping cups
1/2 habanero chile, seeded and deveined
1 large shallot, peeled and cut into chunks, about ¼ cup
8 cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
2 limes, juice; zest of ½ lime
1 teaspoon kosher flake salt
1 tablespoon canola oil

Preparation
Place all ingredients into a high-efficiency blender and pulse 5 times; then blend for 10 seconds. Pour into container and cover. Place in the refrigerator for two hours, then take out and allow to come to room temp before serving. Works with corn chips, or as a sauce for grilled fish and seafood.