Recipe from Code Noir by Lelani Lewis
The pairing may seem unlikely, but make no mistake: peanuts and bananas, or in this case, plantains, are a match made in culinary heaven. I opt for the blackest plantains I can find; the darker they are, the sweeter they become. Coupled with a salsa made from smoked chili, peanuts, and lime, and topped with crumbled feta, this dish makes a perfect appetizer or a light lunch.
2 plantains, as black as you can find
3 tablespoons of chili-peanut-lime salsa (see p. 217)
~ ⅔ cup (150 grams) of feta
1 lime, cut into wedges
FOR THE CHILI-PEANUT-LIME SALSA
2 dried guajillo chilies
1 dried chipotle
1 dried cascabel
2 dried ancho chilies
1 dried mulato
2 unpeeled cloves of garlic
1 cup (200 ml) olive oil
3 ounces (80 grams) of unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 organic lime
5 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat your oven to 355°F (175°C).
Make the chili-peanut-lime salsa. Put all the dried peppers in a bowl and pour boiling water over them so they are fully submerged. Let them soak for 10 minutes. Remove them from the water and put them in a food processor.
In the meantime, gently heat the unpeeled garlic cloves and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow them to confit for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the oil cool.
Toast the peanuts in a dry pan and chop them roughly. Add them to the chilies in the food processor. Squeeze the confit garlic cloves out of their skins and add them to the food processor, along with 5 tablespoons (74 ml) of the garlic oil, the sugar, the juice and zest of the lime, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse about 6 times until you reach a relatively coarse consistency. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Place the unpeeled plantains in a baking dish and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until the skins are black and the insides are completely soft.
Slice the roasted plantains lengthwise. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the salsa into each plantain, crumble feta over the top, and serve with a lime wedge on the side.
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