This World Banana Day, we want to celebrate the important role that bananas have in the Caribbean diet, and share with you a quick and tasty recipe that might make you think about how you eat bananas differently!
What is plantain? We tend to use this name to refer to any banana used in cooking, which are a staple of recipes from West and Central Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. You might have seen them in the World Foods section of most supermarkets: they look like larger versions of the bananas that go in your fruit bowl.
Plantains can function just like potato chips and can be a delicious snack or side for a main meal, such as our Ackee and Saltfish or Jerk Chicken. Back in Jamaica, we typically cook plantains by frying them, but they can also be boiled or roasted as desired.
The flavour of the plantain depends largely on its ripeness when cooked. If the plantain is green, it will be at its firmest and resemble potatoes in flavour, and yellow plantain has a soft texture and sweet flavour. In the recipe below, we will show you how to make our classic caramelised jerk plantain in your kitchen. Our plantain is perfect as a sharing platter at your dinner table, or a lunchtime snack when you’re on the go!
Recipe
4 large semi-ripe plantains (with quite a few black spots; 2 1/3 lbs.)
1 tbsp Buzzrocks All-Purpose Seasoning
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
Salt
Method
Peel the plantains and cut each diagonally into 4/5 pieces
Heat oil in a frying pan, then add the plantain pieces
Add the Jerk Seasoning to the plantain, then fry until evenly caremelised
Season with salt and Serve