Chicken and Mango Salsa

The flavours in this combination of sesame chicken and the fresh mango salsa is “comfort food” at its best. Perfect for a summer day on the deck or at the beach. Yum!

Sesame Chicken

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• pinch of pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. Crisco Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk the whites in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix together the sesame seeds, salt and pepper.

Rinse the chicken in cold water, and pat dry. Remove any fat and make sure the breast is ‘clean’. Dip the chicken into the egg whites to coat and then dip into the seeds, pressing gently to adhere.

Heat the butter and oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear , making sure not to burn the sesame seeds. Flip the chicken over and place pan in the oven for about 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Cut into 1/2 inch slices and serve with lots of the fresh mango salsa.

Fresh Mango Salsa

• 1 large ripe mango (or 2 Ataulfo mangoes**) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tsp. finely chopped jalapeno, seeds removed
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp. grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tbsp. honey

Toss all the ingredients in a bowl.  Taste to adjust if more honey should be used. Let sit covered, at room temperature, while the chicken is cooking.

Uummmm. what is missing? Oh yeah, add a couple of friends, fresh warm rolls and, of course, a bottle of properly chilled white wine (Pinot Grigio comes to mind here). Notice I said bottle not glass? I thought you would.

** My beloved husband and I prefer the Ataulfo mangoes both for amount of edible flesh and flavour.