Destination
Bogota
The story
Plátanos en tentación ("plantains in temptation") is the sweet-savoury Caribbean Colombian side dish that goes with everything: braised beef, coconut rice and beans, roast pork, feijoada-style stews, a simple fried egg. Very ripe plantains (the ones with skin blacker than yellow) sliced thick and slowly braised in a syrup of panela, red wine, cinnamon, cloves and orange juice until they turn dark, glossy and dessert-sweet at the edges but still savoury enough to sit alongside meat.
Method
In a wide heavy pan (large enough to hold the plantain slices in a single layer), combine the panela, red wine, water, orange juice, cinnamon stick, cloves, orange peel and salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the panela dissolves fully, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a separate wide pan over medium heat. Add the plantain slices in a single layer (work in batches). Cook 2 minutes per side, until deep gold. Don't cook through, just brown the outsides.
Transfer the browned plantain slices to the syrup pan. Arrange in a single layer if possible; overlap slightly if not. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently 20 to 25 minutes, turning the slices carefully every 5 minutes so they glaze evenly on both sides.
When the plantains look almost translucent at the edges and the syrup has reduced to a thick, glossy glaze that coats the back of a spoon, they're done. Fish out the cinnamon stick, cloves and orange peel.
Plate the plantain slices and spoon over the remaining syrup. For a savoury side, top with a scatter of crumbled cheese and serve alongside meat. For dessert, add a dollop of cream and eat straight.
Tips
- Skin needs to be 50% black or more. Under-ripe plantains stay starchy and refuse to absorb the syrup. If yours aren't ripe enough, leave them on a warm windowsill for 2 to 3 days until the skin darkens.
- Brown before braising. The initial fry in butter is what gives the finished plantains a deep golden colour and stops them from breaking apart during the slow braise.
- Turn gently. Ripe plantains are fragile. Use a wide spatula or tongs, turn the slices in the syrup carefully rather than stirring. Broken plantains still taste good but look untidy.
- Panela is what makes it Colombian. Dark muscovado is a passable substitute; white sugar is wrong (too sharp and one-note). The molasses depth of panela is essential.
- Serve with a savoury dish, not on its own. This is designed as a side. Alongside a piece of grilled beef, a slice of roast pork or a spoon of beans and coconut rice, the sweet-and-spicy plantain does the balancing work it was invented for.
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