PLÁTANO EMPANADAS WITH GARLIC AIOLI

by Gaby Fernandez

Plátano empanadas evolved from plátano bolitas, which are plátanos (plantains) made into a dough and stuffed with cheese, bacon, and egg. That flavor combination tastes good, but some of my family members think it’s too complex. So I decided to create something more straightforward, keeping that delectable platanos and cheese flavor. This led to the creation of these plátanos with garlic aioli. This recipe was inspired by my family, my culture, and, of course, plátano bolitas.

Serves: 5 Estimated Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

4 yellow plantains

3 cups water

1 pound mozzarella cheese

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons achiote oil

1 cup canola oil

1, 1/3 cups mayonnaise

1 garlic clove,

Juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Rinse plantains under warm water and cut each into 3 equal pieces. Do not peel the skin off!

2. Add plantains to a medium saucepot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes, or just until they are easily pierced with a fork.

3. While the plantains are cooking, shred the mozzarella cheese on the coarse side of a box grater and set aside.

4. Once the plantains are soft, peel off the skin (be careful as the plantains are still hot), and place them in a large bowl. While still hot, smash the plantains until no lumps remain. The heat helps make the plantains softer and easier to work with. Add the achiote oil, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.

5. For each empanada, using an ice cream scoop, place two scoops of the plantain dough on top of each other in the middle of a 12x12-inch piece of plastic wrap. Cover the dough with another piece of plastic wrap and roll it into a ½-inch thick circle. Add 2 tablespoons of cheese in the center and fold the dough in half, enclosing the cheese. Seal the empanada with your fingers. Repeat with the remaining dough.

6. Fry the empanadas: Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. To check when your oil is hot enough to fry, pinch a small piece of dough from an empanada and put it in the oil. If bubbles start to form around it, the oil is ready. Fry the empanadas in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through.

7. Drain the empanadas on a paper towel-lined cooling rack.

8. Prepare the garlic aioli: In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes and give one final stir before serving.

9. Serve the empanadas hot with the garlic aioli on the side for dipping.