Pineapple salad

This goes very well with spicy dishes such as jerk pork, as the pineapple cools the heat of the chillis.

Pineapple, being sweet but a little tart, also complements astringent flavours and this salad goes very well with sweet and sour dishes such as the Indonesian fish kebabs too.

It's best to use fresh pineapples, even though they are a bit of a pain to peel. Tinned pineapples often come in a syrup and can be a bit too sweet and soft for this recipe while fresh pineapples still retain a bit of crunch and a zesty flavour.

Ingredients

• 2 medium pineapples, peeled, cored, and cut into 2cm chunks
• 1 large cucumber
• 2 red chilli peppers, deseeded and chopped finely
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 red onion, peeled and chopped finely
• 1 small bunch coriander, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Method

1. Peel the cucumber using a potato peeler and cut off the ends.
2. Slice it in half lengthways, and then use a teaspoon to scoop out all of the seeds, leaving you with two cucumber "canoes".
3. Slice these at an angle, at a thickness of about 5mm.
4. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Add pepper to taste. Add a little more soy sauce if it's not salty enough.
5. Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving.