Mashed Plantains
What does breakfast look like for you? Is it a bowl of oatmeal? Cold leftovers? “The Full English”? Our recipe this week comes to us from the Caribbean, as we make a traditional Dominican dish and use a Puerto Rican spice blend.
Mangú is a traditional Dominican breakfast that refers to the three hits known as “Los Tres Golpes.” Mashed plantains, fried salami, and a fried egg. Theories on why it’s called “Mangú” are usually attributed to the experience of foreign invaders trying the dish for the first time and exclaiming it’s delicious- “Man, this is good!” eventually (maybe) turned into Mangú. If you’ve never had a plantain before, chances are, you’ve still probably seen them. Plantains look extremely similar to bananas, though they are typically a little less skinny and far more likely to be found unripe and green, are fairly starchy, and far less sweet. Chef Jeff peeled them, quartered them, and boiled them much the same way you would make mashed potatoes, but did not cube them so as to not absorb too much water.
To season our mashed plantains, we went with another Caribbean favorite- our Sazón Seasoning. Hand blended from achiote, garlic, onion, cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano, and cilantro, Sazón flavor is a staple in Puerto Rican and other Hispanic cuisines. Our blend contains no MSG or anti-caking agents (like silicon dioxide), and adds a garlicky, oniony aromatic kick to the dish without being spicy.
To finish the dish off, Jeff made the traditional preparation of onions cooked with some sort of fruity, sweetish vinegar. Jeff used Apple Cider Vinegar, but if you didn’t have that, Red Wine Vinegar could also work, or maybe even Balsamic- keep in mind the pungency of Balsamic might overwhelm the flavor of the onions, so you can afford to use a little less. As the onions cook, their sugars caramelize, and the acidity of the vinegar helps contrast those flavors and deglaze the pan.
As mentioned earlier, Mashed Plantains go hand in hand with fried eggs and fried salami, and occasionally fried cheese (if you want to go for Los CUATRO Golpes). We actually enjoyed ours with our weekly employee lunch taco bar, where they were piled on the side with our rice, or you can serve it with some Chicken Sofrito Stew.
- 4 Green, unripe plantains
- 1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
- 2 tsp Sazon Seasoning
- 1 Cup water, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Medium sized red onion
- 1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- Peel plantains and slice lengthwise. Slice in half to make four pieces. Remove center with seeds with a knife or spoon and discard.
- Place plantains in a pot. Add enough water to cover the plantains. Boil plantains until tender, adding the salt just prior to boiling.
- While plantains are cooking, add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a sauté pan over medium and cook onions until translucent. Add cider vinegar and cook until the onions absorb the vinegar.
- When the plantains are finished cooking, remove from water and mash with a fork until there is no lumps. Add butter, Sazon Seasoning, and room temperature water and mash until smooth.
- Serve with onions.
