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Plantain: savory or sweet?

07 Jun

2 recipes with plantain, the lesser-known, but downright fabulous, nutrient-packed cousin.

Popular in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Senegal, Madagascar and Côte d’Ivoire, plantain is ready to blow you away with its so-sweet taste. Get ready for a feast that will have your mouth dancing the samba, in sweet and savory mode!

1. Savory version with a gratin

Ingredients: gratin for 4 people

  • 7 plantains
  • 100 g grated Gruyère cheese
  • 75 cl milk
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 50 g butter
  • Salt and pepper

 

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 180°
  • Finely chop the onion and, once peeled, crush the garlic
  • Cut the bananas and cook them in a pan of boiling salted water for about 15 minutes
  • In a hot frying pan, melt the butter and add the chopped onion and garlic
  • As soon as the onion starts to cook, add the flour, stirring constantly
  • Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the milk
  • Return the pan to the heat and continue stirring until the sauce simmers
  • When the sauce thickens, stir in the cheese and remove from the heat
  • Butter an ovenproof dish, layer with cream, then bananas, and cover with cream
  • Repeat the process until the dish is full
  • Cover with grated cheese and bake for 30 min

2. Sweet version with Malagasy fritters

Ingrédients : pour 4 personnes

  • 2 plantains
  • 100 g corn flour
  • 200 g wheat flour
  • 60 g sugar
  • 1 packet baking powder
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 4 eggs

For the sauce

  • 1 mango
  • 4 passion fruit

 

Directions:

  • Start with the sauce: Cut the passion fruit in half, remove the flesh and juice and strain through a sieve to keep only the juice. Blend the mango and passion fruit juice and chill.
  • Remove the skin from the plantains and slice into pieces
  • On a plate, mash them with a fork. Separate the egg whites from the yolks
  • Mix the mashed plantains, flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla and egg yolks until smooth
  • Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture. Leave to rest for an hour
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan
  • Fry a small amount of batter with a spoon for a few minutes
  • Drain on paper towels
  • Then enjoy the doughnut with the sauce

 

Get to work! It’s time to explore plantains in your own kitchen. Don’t forget to share your creations and impressions with us at inthemove@intelcia.com, so we can share them with your co-workers!