JC in the kitchen cooking with plantain.
This weekend my son-in-law, JC, was cooking brunch, including a specialty item from Colombia, his homeland. I arrived early so as to interfere in the kitchen as much as possible by taking dozens of photographs. JC had already been to United Provisions on Delmar to get the few ingredients needed.
“What’s the name of the dish?” I asked, watching him stir a skillet.
“Plátanos Asados con Bocadillo y Queso,” he replied.
While the name of the dish tripped easily off of his tongue, I only understood a few word. Thanks to my two years of college Spanish I recognized plantain and cheese. JC explained that it’s a dish eaten all over Colombia and South America. You start with ripe plantains, that look like large, over-ripened bananas. The skins are heavily spotted, almost completely black. That’s when the plantains are sweet and ready to eat.
Peeling the plantain. When the skin is black, the fruit is ripe and delicious.
After brushing with butter (or oil), the plantains are sliced lengthwise and roasted at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Here JC is inserting strips of guava paste into the warm plantains. The commercially available paste is made from guava pulp, sugar, water and pectin cooked down slowly into a concentrated form.
Mozarella cheese goes over the guava paste layer.
The plantains are returned to the oven and baked 10 more minutes or until the guava and cheese are melted and the top nicely browned.
Ready to serve. The guava paste and cheese have combined nicely to form a colorful topping for the plantain.
Platanos Asados con Bocadillo y Queso served with seasoned venison (from our farm), and arugula salad.
Now that’s good eating on any continent.
