Skip to main content

Xec

A tiny little side condiment served with grilled chicken or fish that can make any meal sing. It’s fine without any chile at all, but I like a touch. This is a very fragile dish; make it at the last minute and serve it all at once. It will go fast, believe me.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 orange
1 small grapefruit
1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 habanero or other hot fresh chile, seeded and minced, or to taste, optional
Salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut the orange in half horizontally and section it as you would a grapefruit; do this over a bowl to capture all its juice. Remove the seeds and combine the flesh and juice in the bowl. Repeat with the grapefruit and lemon.

    Step 2

    Stir in the remaining ingredients, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
Read More
Grab your Easter basket and hop in—you’ll want to collect each and every one of these fun and easy Easter recipes.
A warmly spiced Ashkenazi charoset, perfect for your Passover seder—or spooned over yogurt the next morning.
Like airy lemon chiffon cake and a Cadbury egg–inspired tart.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Like lemony risotto and tandoori-style cauliflower.
Think a Hugo spritz, a gin basil smash, and plenty more patio-ready pours.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.