Crusty Cod with Spicy Mango Salsa

I'm not always into mixing meat/fish with fruit but this is wonderful...and a great excuse to buy mangos. They're delicious and remind me of my days living in Mali where les mangues were abundant and a crucial part of every day living. This is a great summery dish and very easy for entertaining. We had our friends Leila and Danny over recently and served this with white rice with cilantro and a big salad with lots of avocado. I also made a white sangria...that night remains a bit of a blur but it went great with the meal!
**Make sure to plan this a couple of days in advance - you'll most often need to wait a good 2-3 days to let your mangos ripped - they're rarely sold ripe in the US.


Serves 4:

2 lb cod fillets (halibut or haddock would also work great for this)
1 1/2 cups panko
4 green onions
2 eggs, beaten

3 large, ripe mangos (make sure the flesh is tender) diced
1 red onion, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 TB minced ginger
1 TB garlic chili paste
1/4 cup lime juice
salt and pepper to taste.

1. To dice the mango, slice the mango vertically on both sides of the pit, keeping the skin on. Hold the half with the skin palm side down and with a sharp knife, slice 1/4 in. rows vertically and horizontally. Scoop out the squares with a spoon, digging all the way down to the skin. Repeat with other half so that you have a bowl of mango cubes.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.

3. Dry your fish fillets with a paper towel and salt and pepper them. Set aside a plate with the panko and sliced green onions and a bowl with the beaten eggs. Dredge the fillets in egg and then in the panko mixture and coat well.

4. Heat a pan to medium high and add a bit of canola oil. Fry the fillets until done - cooked through and panko lightly browned (stick under a heated broiler if they are very thick fillets).

4. Serve with rice and the mango salsa on top.