A Taste of the Islands

By CHRISTY HEDGES

Sept. 4, 2002 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

What gives this meal its special zest is the “opposites attract” marriage of pineapple and pork. First, the fruit salad uses orange, mango and pineapple combined with a sweet onion and a light mint-ginger vinaigrette. Then, we’ve added pancetta. Pair the salad with grilled mahi-mahi, a little chile and lime, and this becomes a meal worthy of the Big Island.

If you want to go truly tropical, serve a scoop of Kona coffee ice cream drizzled with bittersweet chocolate sauce and garnished with macadamia nuts. Or keep it simple with what’s in the freezer. Either way, the end result will be good.

Plates, napkins and place mats from Crate & Barrel.

Pineapple Salad With Grilled Mahi-Mahi

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Peeling and dicing a whole pineapple is too time-consuming; look for bags of cut-up whole pineapples in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle. If you buy a chunk of pancetta, rather than slices, it will be easier to quickly dice.

1/2 pound pancetta, diced

1 pineapple, peeled and cored, diced

1 mango, peeled and pitted, diced

1 orange

1/2 sweet onion, such as Maui

4 mahi-mahi filets (about 6 ounces each)

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon grated ginger root

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, snipped into small pieces with scissors

Butter lettuce

Lime slices, for garnish

Heat an outdoor grill or an oiled grill pan.

Fry the pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the pineapple and mango in a large mixing bowl. Cut away the rind and pith from the orange and, cutting in between the membranes, remove the segments. Add to the bowl. Quarter the onion, remove any core, and slice as thinly as possible. Add to the bowl.

Brush the mahi-mahi filets on both sides with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and the chili powder. Place the fish on the grill and cook until it flakes slightly with a fork and is opaque, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Whisk together the seasoned rice vinegar, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil, the orange juice, pepper to taste and the grated ginger. Add the snipped pieces of fresh mint and mix.

Pour the dressing over the fruit salad in the large bowl and mix. Mound the salad in a serving bowl lined with butter lettuce and garnish with the crispy pancetta. Serve the fish alongside with the lime slices for garnish.

4 servings. Each serving: 486 calories; 964 mg sodium; 131 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 38 grams protein; 5.84 grams fiber.

Pineapple Salad With Grilled Mahi-Mahi

Ice Cream With Chocolate Sauce and Macadamia Nuts

STAPLES

Chili powder

Chocolate sauce

Ice cream

Lime

Olive oil

Orange

Orange juice

Seasoned rice vinegar

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