
Plantain puffs
Serve these moreish plantain puffs with a coffee sauce for dunking. Shared by food author Melissa Thompson, the recipe is inspired by her Jamaican heritage
- 2 plantain
- 100ml whole milk
- 50g golden caster sugarplus 1 tbsp
- 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 400g plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 150g condensed milk
- 2 x 50ml shots of strong coffee
- 500ml-1 litre vegetable oilfor deep-frying
For the dusting
- 75g caster sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Nutrition: Per serving (50)
- kcal74
- fat1g
- saturates0.3g
- carbs14g
- sugars5g
- fibre1g
- protein1g
- salt0.01g
Method
step 1
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roast the plantain, in its skin, for 20-30 mins until the flesh is soft. Meanwhile, gently warm the milk in a pan until lukewarm. Stir in 1 tbsp of the sugar, then add the yeast. Take off the heat and leave to stand for 10 mins.
step 2
Take the plantain out of the oven and, once cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mix the flour with the remaining sugar, then mix in the plantain flesh. Stir in 150ml water gradually using a cutlery knife until you have a loose, sticky dough. Leave in a warm place, covered with a damp tea towel, for 1 hr or until doubled in size.
step 3
Mix the condensed milk and coffee in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the ingredients for the dusting together in a wide, shallow bowl.
step 4
Fill a heavy-based saucepan half-full with the oil, and gently heat to 180C. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small bit of batter into the oil. It’s ready when the batter drops to the bottom, then rises after 3-5 seconds. Wet your hands to stop the dough sticking, and take a small amount, about the size of a walnut, and carefully drop into the oil. Repeat, working in batches and ensuring there is space enough so the puffs aren’t touching. Cook for 2 mins or until golden brown, then turn and fry for another 2 mins until brown all over. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper, then roll each puff in the dusting and transfer to a plate. Serve with the coffee sauce on the side, for dunking.