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Plantain
By Recipes4us
How to prepare and cook Plantains
Plantain
Recipes |
Growing
Vegetables|
What's In Season |
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Vegetables - Prep & Cooking times
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Common
Names: |
Plantain, Cooking Banana, Bocadillo, Beer Banana,
potatoes of the air |
| Family: |
Musaceae |
| In
Season: |
Autumn |
| Buying: |
Choose firm specimens which are not too hard,
squidgy, mouldy or cracked. As they can be cooked at various stages
of ripeness, the colour will depend on the end result you wish to
achieve. Green to yellow - the flavour is bland and its
texture is starchy which is suitable for cooking and serving as you
would potatoes. Brown to black, the flavour is sweeter
although it keeps its firm shape when cooked and is more akin to
young parsnips. If you wish you can buy green ones and ripen them at
home. |
| Storing: |
Up to 8 days in a cool,
dry, dark place depending on ripeness. Do not store in the
refrigerator. |
| Serving Allowances: |
� per
person |
General
- Preparing Plantains
Although plantains are strictly
speaking a fruit, they are always used as a savoury ingredient.
Always cook plantains - do not eat
raw.
Most recipes will call
for plantains to be peeled. The way you peel them depends on their
stage of ripeness. Green plantains should be washed first then
the ends cut off, and the fruit cut across into to sections about
10cm/4-inches long.
Cut through the very thick peel lengthwise along
its four ridges just down to the flesh then remove each strip of
skin, working sideways rather than downwards and remove any
woody fibres. Once you are used to this method, you can omit cutting
the fruit into lengths before peeling. Ripe brown or black plantains
can be peeled just like a banana.
Ripe Plantains are also delicious
baked in their skins.
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