Banana's cousin, Plantain, and its varying roles

Plantain, Banana da terra, Platano, etc.

Banana’s cousin brings that bit of sweetness on a fork loaded with oxtail, rice and vegetables. It’s pitiful that it isn’t readily available to eat at will like the banana, you have to peel it, slice it… wait for the oil to get hot then the plantain slices to cool for want of avoiding a scorched tongue.

                Plantain, which off a yardy’s tongue as ‘plantin’, is normally fried as a side item, but in my house an entire plantin is gone before dinner – dessert before dinner, cart before the horse and so on. Thank nature that it’s good for you – mind, tongue and soul. Alongside bread, plantin is a staple bought every week at least to serve as snack, side and staple.

Plantin, The Snack

                It always vexed me how Island Grill and Pollo Tropical in Florida only 2 or 3… extra if you catch the eye of the guy doing your order in time to give him a wink. But that’s business right? Capitalizing on the oily, caramelized goodness of natural potassium: hurtful, yet natural.

                I remember, about my second or third time at Chipotle, thinking to myself, “The only ingredient missing from this full bodied, Latin American inspired goodness is some plantin: boil or fried.” After a shopping trip into DC we came back with about five whole plantins and wax off a whole one the next day with breakfast:

Plantin, The Side in Tomato-mozzarella omelette with fried plantins, toast, & avocado slices

Plantin, The Side in Shrimp & tomato pasta

Note: Wax off - down, vacuum, eat hurriedly... clean your plate!

Eat well...and sweet,

Til lata,

Gillian M.