With tropical fruit like mangoes and kiwi, you’ve got to eat the fruit just at the right time of ripeness. Under-ripe kiwi is suck-your-face-in-puckery-sour and over-ripe mangoes are blah and mushy. So what to do with imperfect fruit? Slightly cook them for a warm, tropical fruit salsa, “Floribbean” style. (Yeah, it’s a dumb name, but restaurants in Florida use it all the time. It basically means Florida + Caribbean style, if you haven’t guessed already. These days, it really just refers to a tropical dish.) Peel and dice the kiwi, mango, and pineapple and cook them along with sugar, a pinch of salt and a dash of chili powder. Other fruit like papaya are also fabulous too. You’ll have to adjust the amount of sugar on your own, as it’s based on how sweet or sour your fruit is. I always like to have just a slight tang in the salsa, so a simple squeeze of lime at the end is perfect. Again, the amount of lime juice is based on taste. And to top it all off with something a little extra special is toasted sweetened coconut flakes! Welcome to paradise. Recipe and photos updated, first published 2009. Immediately spoon onto a plate to stop the cooking and prevent burning. Set aside to cool. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes each side or until just barely cooked through. Spoon out the shrimp to a serving platter. When the oil is shimmering, add the diced onion and sauté for 1 minute. Add the mango, pineapple, and the kiwi and cook for 1 minute until bubbly and softened. Add the fresh mint, sugar, chili powder and just a pinch of salt. Finish with a light squeeze of lime, sprinkled on top of the shrimp.
