Mofongo (Puerto Rico)
3 light green plantains
Vegetable or peanut oil (for frying)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces chicharrones (cracklings)
Salt (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Peel plantains by slicing off the ends and cutting 3 or 4 lengthwise slits through the peel. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes, and pull of the skin in strips. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, cutting at an angle so the slices have an oval shape. Saute in vegetable oil until softened but not browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain and cool.
Mince or press garlic; add to olive oil and mix well.
Process cooled plantains in a food processor until barely smooth (this is traditionally done with a mortar and pestle).
Break chicharrones into bite-size pieces.
In a bowl, mix plantains, chicharrones, garlic and oil. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary (chicharrones may make dish salty enough). Form into egg-size balls with your hands. Serve warm, dusted with cilantro.
Makes about 20 balls.
Fried Plantains
Serve as a side dish or as a dessert.
Allow at least half a plantain per person. Leaving the skin on, cut them in half, and put them into a pan of cold water. Bring them to a boil. It should take about 15 minutes of boiling to get them to the proper degree of softness. Drain them, cool them, and cut the two halves of each in two again. Gently press them flat and saute them in hot butter. Drain on paper towel and serve. If you want, you can sprinkle them with powdered sugar or drizzle them with honey.
They work as a dessert or a side dish.
Corn with Okra and Tomatoes
6 ears corn*
2 cups cut-up okra**
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cut corn from cobs (about 4 cups). Cook and stir okra in 1/3 cup butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until tender, about 7 minutes. Add corn and 2 tablespoons butter. Cook uncovered until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook uncovered until tomatoes are hot, about 3 minutes.
Yields 8 servings.
* 2 (16 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained, can be substituted.
** 1 (10 ounce) package frozen okra can be substituted. Rinse under running cold water to separate; cut crosswise into slices. Cook as directed above.
Conkies
3 cups grated coconut (1 large)
2 cups fresh corn flour
4 ounces raisins (optional)
6 ounces shortening
1/2 cup flour
3/4 pound brown sugar
3/4 pound pumpkin
1/2 pound sweet potato
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon almond essence
1 teaspoon salt
Grate coconut, pumpkin and sweet potato. Mix in sugar, liquids and spices. Add raisins and flour last and combine well.
Melt shortening before adding with milk.
Fold a few tablespoons of the mixture in steamed plantain leaves. Cut into squares about 8 inches wide.
Steam Conkies on a rack over boiling water in a large pot or in a steamer until they are firm and cooked.
NOTE: Wax paper will work instead of banana or plantain leaves.
Fried Ripe Plantains (Platanos Maduras Fritos, Puerto Rico)
4 medium very ripe (nearly all black) plantains
4 tablespoons butter, divided
Salt or garlic salt, to taste (optional)
2 limes, cut into wedges (optional)
Peel plantains as you would a banana, then cut them on the diagonal into 3/4-inch slices. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute half the plantain slices in a single layer until they are quite brown on the underside, about 4 minutes. Flip them over with a spatula and saute until brown on the other side, about 3 minutes. Leaning the slices against each other if necessary, stand each plantain slice on one of its edges in the skillet and saute for 30 seconds. Next stand the slices on their opposite edges and saute an additional 30 seconds.
Remove one slice from the skillet, cut it in half, and check to see that the plantain has lost its pale yellow, white, or pink tinge and has turned yellow all the way through. If so, the plantains are ready. If not, continue sauteing them for another minute on the sides that are the least brown.
Gently remove fried plantains from the skillet with a spatula and pace them on paper towels to drain. Add remaining butter to the skillet and saute remaining plantains in the same fashion. Arrange fried plantains in one layer on a large serving plate. Sprinkle them with salt or garlic salt, if desired, and serve at once with lime wedges or plain.
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish or appetizer.
Hearts of Palm in Tomato Sauce (Palmito Guisado)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4 ounces fully cooked smoked ham, coarsely chopped (2/3 cup)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes with liquid
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 (14 ounce) cans hearts of palm, rinsed drained and sliced 1/2 inch thick
Grated Parmesan cheese
Cook and stir onion, garlic, jalapeno peppers and ham in oil in skillet over medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, parsley, vinegar and pepper; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in hearts of palm. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until hearts of palm are hot, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.
Yields 6 servings.