Chicken with Banana Salsa

February 5, 2002

One of the joys of summer is being able to sit outside in the evening, lingering over a meal as the sun sets in the west. Unfortunately we've had one of those summers where things haven't quite gone to the seasonal plan and the barbecue cuts have remained in the freezer or have been cooked inside because the temperature has plummeted and no one has been keen to brandish the tongs in the great outdoors.

The Spouse announced recently that he'd had a promotion and we were packing the bags and heading back home to Wellington. This was all rather out of the blue. We have just landscaped the yard of our charming townhouse and were looking forward to spending our evenings outside, sipping a local riesling, admiring the new garden, watching the plants grow.

Since the planting was completed about six weeks ago, we've had less than 10 evenings where we've been able to do just that. However, there hasn't been a great need to water the garden either. We are consoling ourselves that we still have a few weeks to enjoy the garden before we shift back to our Wellington home.

One unexpected recent balmy evening we went to visit friends for dinner. It had drizzled during the day but it fined up later and we ended up on their terrace sipping pre-dinner drinks and watching their cat loll about on the garden mulch.

They'd planned a barbecue but had a change of menu with the rainspots. Summer entertaining can be a pleasant, informal affair and our hostess produced a delicious meal that involved very little work in the kitchen. It was an easy prepare-ahead menu that involved only a few last minute touches - smoked salmon on melba toast circles, a chicken dish with banana salsa and a tossed green salad, accompanied by warm ciabatta bread, and a chocolate dessert cake with fresh raspberries. Perfect.

A banana salsa lends a tropical note to a meal and here is a recipe I developed some years back after I'd tasted something similar in the Caribbean. I had almost forgotten about it. I recommend leaving the skin on the chicken breast as it will keep the chicken moist during cooking.

Tropical Chicken

One half chicken breast per serving, boned but with skin on
1 large barely ripe banana
4 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1 small spring onion
1/4 cup passionfruit pulp (fresh or bottled)
sugar to taste
2 tablespoons oil (olive oil or half and half olive and walnut)
small bunch fresh coriander
salt and freshly ground pepper

Sprinkle the chicken with a little olive oil and bake it in a pre-heated 190C oven for 30 minutes.

Peel and dice the banana and sprinkle it with half the lime juice, turning it to cover each piece of banana to prevent browning.

Deseed the peppers and finely chop. Finely slice the spring onion. Add to the banana.

If the passionfruit pulp is fresh, add a little brown sugar to sweeten if necessary. Combine with the oil and the remainder of the lime juice and pour over the banana mix. Sprinkle with the coriander leaves.

To serve, place the chicken breasts on individual plates and spoon over some of the salsa. Accompany with a tossed green salad of mixed lettuce, avocado chunks, green pepper, sliced cucumber and blanched, chilled sugarsnap peapods.