Roasted Plantain Pieces With Roasted Garlic-Lime Dipping Sauce
Vegan Soul Kitchen
by Bryant Terry
Soundtrack: "Justicia" by Eddie Palmieri from Fania Live 03 from San Francisco DJ Sake One
When I first tested the recipe, the plantains I used were slightly yellow—almost green—and reminded me of the flavor of tostones (twice-fried plantains found in Latin American cuisine). So I decided that I would pair them with garlic dipping sauce to make a tasty appetizer. According to Raul Musibay, Cuban cookbook author and cofounder of icuban.com, tostones can be linked directly to the African continent: "The tradition of the tostone comes from African slaves. In the Congo, the people prepare plantains in the exact same way, even to this day."
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Roasted Garlic-Lime Dipping Sauce
• All the cloves from one head of roasted garlic *below
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
Roasted Plantains
• 3 large, slightly ripe yellow plantains, ends cut off, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces widthwise
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
For the dipping sauce
In an upright blender, combine the roasted garlic, olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Puree until creamy.
Season with white pepper and salt to taste.
For the plantains
Preheat oven to 450°F.
In a small bowl, toss the plantains and the olive oil. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook, stirring a few times to ensure even browning, until crisp on the outside and starting to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the plantain pieces to a serving platter and scatter them around the dipping sauce. Have toothpicks handy for easy dipping.
*Roasting Garlic
Preheat your oven to 325°F, cut off just enough of the head of a garlic bulb to expose the garlic cloves, transfer to aluminum foil cutside up, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Wrap the foil tightly, place in a baking receptacle to catch any drippings, and bake until the garlic is tender, about 1 hour.
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