In the French Caribbean islands, we were frequently offered a delightful fruit salad with orange liqueur for dessert—simple yet amazing. You can include any fruits you have handy, but in this recipe, I focused on the commonly served Caribbean fruits: mango, pineapple, and banana. If you can find other Caribbean fruits such as soursop, passion fruit, or guava, I highly recommend you try them as well. Melons are also used frequently in the Caribbean, especially watermelon and cantaloupe.

If you prefer this recipe without alcohol, substitute freshly squeezed orange juice instead.

Prep Time: 10-15 Minutes

Serves: Four

Ingredients:

2 medium mangos, about 2 cups, cubed into bite-sized pieces (See note on mangos below)

2 medium bananas, sliced

2 cups pineapple chunks

1 cup watermelon, cubed (or use berries)

2 tablespoons of fresh mint, finely chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4-6 tablespoons orange liqueur (to taste)

1 passion fruit, scooped out of the shell (seasonal, so optional)

Directions:

In a bowl, combine mango, banana, pineapple, and watermelon.

Combine mint, lemon juice, orange liqueur, and passion fruit (if available) in a separate bowl and whisk together. Then combine with the fruit and serve.

Chef’s Note on Selecting and Preparing Mangos

There are many types of mangos, just like different varieties of apples and oranges. Some mangos are far stringier while others simply melt in your mouth.

If you have the option, choose the less fibrous honey mango. It is sweeter, less stringy, and essentially melts in your mouth. Although it is a bit smaller, it has a smaller seed, making up for the lesser size. In the photo on the right, the traditional larger stringy mango is on the left, and the smaller and more yellow-orange honey mango is on the right.

When preparing to slice a mango, I suggest holding it vertically and slicing the mango

into three parts, a central seed, and two lateral sides.

See this video for details on preparing a mango.

Enjoy,

Steven Masley, MD