The Wondrous Plantain!
Clara, food photographer and writer, is the founder of Aunt Clara’s Kitchen, where she has been sharing the food she loves since 2001.
At first glance, a plantain looks a lot like a large banana. It’s easily mistaken for one if you are unfamiliar with it. But if you are, you’d be well served to learn the difference: plantains are a culinary treasure in their own right.
The plantain, like the banana, is a member of the musa family, and a fiber-rich carbohydrate source. Unlike bananas, plantains need to be cooked before being consumed. They grow well in the tropics, and for this reason they’re well-known throughout Latin America, and are part of the traditional diet in the Spanish Caribbean.
Let me show you what can be done with plantains.
1. Fried ripe plantains – Known as maduros or fritos maduros in the Spanish Caribbean, these sweet delights (pictured above) are served with savory dishes. They’re a common addition to the lunch table in these countries.
2. Mang? – This could be called the official breakfast of the Dominican Republic. Mang?, a plantain puree topped with saut?ed onions, can be found on the humblest tables and in the fanciest resort buffets.
3. Cheese-filled plantain dumplings - Filled with cheese, pork cracklings, or chorizo, these Ecuadorian plantain balls can be served as a meal on their own, or as finger food.
4. Glazed ripe plantains - A variation of the traditional pl?tano al caldero, these teriyaki-glazed plantains give an extra layer of goodness to an already very popular dish.
5. Plantain lasagna - Like nothing you’ve tried before, pastel?n (a sort of plantain lasagna) is one of Puerto Rico’s most popular foods. Combining ripe plantains with juicy minced meat, it gives lasagna a run for its money.
6. Ripe plantain boats filled with cheese - Baked ripe plantains, filled with minced meat and melted cheese. Make them once and they’ll become a favorite in your family.
7. Colombian green mashed plantain - Mashed plantains are mixed with a tomato sauce, topped with a sunny-side up egg and sprinkled with cheese. A perfect weekend meal.
8. Baked plantains with cinnamon, coconut, and cream - Using plantains in desserts is not very common; there’s only a handful of plantain-based desserts. But this combination seems like the kind of thing that would convince anyone to change their mind.
9. Mofongo - Another Puerto Rican delight whose popularity has spread to the Dominican Republic, making a convert of anyone who tries it. Fried plantain mash, combined with crispy pork cracklings, served alongside beef broth is the epitome of umami.
10. Fried sweet plantains - Tequila, honey and ripe plantains make the kind of combination that will surprise guests and make you ask yourself how you survived this far without trying this
The Wondrous Plantain! 10 Essential Recipes
Clara, food photographer and writer, is the founder of Aunt Clara’s Kitchen, where she has been sharing the food she loves since 2001.
At first glance, a plantain looks a lot like a large banana. It’s easily mistaken for one if you are unfamiliar with it. But if you are, you’d be well served to learn the difference: plantains are a culinary treasure in their own right.
The plantain, like the banana, is a member of the musa family, and a fiber-rich carbohydrate source. Unlike bananas, plantains need to be cooked before being consumed. They grow well in the tropics, and for this reason they’re well-known throughout Latin America, and are part of the traditional diet in the Spanish Caribbean.
Let me show you what can be done with plantains.
1. Fried ripe plantains – Known as maduros or fritos maduros in the Spanish Caribbean, these sweet delights (pictured above) are served with savory dishes. They’re a common addition to the lunch table in these countries.
2. Mang? – This could be called the official breakfast of the Dominican Republic. Mang?, a plantain puree topped with saut?ed onions, can be found on the humblest tables and in the fanciest resort buffets.
3. Cheese-filled plantain dumplings - Filled with cheese, pork cracklings, or chorizo, these Ecuadorian plantain balls can be served as a meal on their own, or as finger food.
4. Glazed ripe plantains - A variation of the traditional pl?tano al caldero, these teriyaki-glazed plantains give an extra layer of goodness to an already very popular dish.
5. Plantain lasagna - Like nothing you’ve tried before, pastel?n (a sort of plantain lasagna) is one of Puerto Rico’s most popular foods. Combining ripe plantains with juicy minced meat, it gives lasagna a run for its money.
6. Ripe plantain boats filled with cheese - Baked ripe plantains, filled with minced meat and melted cheese. Make them once and they’ll become a favorite in your family.
7. Colombian green mashed plantain - Mashed plantains are mixed with a tomato sauce, topped with a sunny-side up egg and sprinkled with cheese. A perfect weekend meal.
8. Baked plantains with cinnamon, coconut, and cream - Using plantains in desserts is not very common; there’s only a handful of plantain-based desserts. But this combination seems like the kind of thing that would convince anyone to change their mind.
9. Mofongo - Another Puerto Rican delight whose popularity has spread to the Dominican Republic, making a convert of anyone who tries it. Fried plantain mash, combined with crispy pork cracklings, served alongside beef broth is the epitome of umami.
10. Fried sweet plantains - Tequila, honey and ripe plantains make the kind of combination that will surprise guests and make you ask yourself how you survived this far without trying this
The Wondrous Plantain! 10 Essential Recipes
