Rice with plantains and a fried egg
My parents are both from Colombia so this dish was easy dinner growing up. It's funny to write a recipe for it since it's one of those dishes that lives more in my marrow than on a recipe card. I come to it again and again because it feels like home.
It's also quick, easy and filling and the answer to many weeknight dinners.
I realize plantains may be new to you and not quite a pantry staple but I do encourage you to give them a try. They are available, sometimes, at Whole Foods, but you may have better luck at Safeway or a Latin grocer. They're sweet, but in this combo balance the savory so nicely. Provecho!
Rice with plantains and a fried egg
You'll need about 1 plantain per 2 people, recipe written for 4 servings
Notes: the plantain pictured in the final recipe was the riper one (the one with lots of black spots). When you buy them, they'll likely look less ripe (the other three in the picture). Let them sit in a dark place until they're dark and almost black. They should be soft to the touch. The riper they are, the more addictive ; )
This dish looks slightly less vegetable centric than other recipes on the blog. However, I always eat it with a large salad or, in the summer months, slices of ripe tomato. If you avoid white rice, brown rice works perfectly fine and how I eat it most of the time. Adjust cooking times and water as needed.
Rice:
1 cup dry white jasmine rice
3 green onions, cut into thirds
4 eggs, fried in olive oil
2 avocados, halved
2 ripe plantains, cut in half then sliced lengthwise into 4 pieces to get a total of 8 pieces
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt/Maldon sea salt
Prepare the rice. Give it a couple of rinses in cold water. In a medium saucepan, heat a small drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the green onions. Saute until golden in parts. Add rice and 1/2 tsp of salt. Saute until coated. Add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and bring down to low heat for 30 minutes.
Cook plantains. Cut off the two ends of the plantain. Then slice down the middle. Then cut, lengthwise, to get four slices from each half. In a cast iron skillet, heat about a 1/4-inch deep layer of olive oil over low-medium heat. You're going to do a very gentle pan fry here. When the oil is warm, add the plantains. You should hear a gentle sizzle. Cook for about 4 minutes, then turn. This process is very variable and depends on how ripe the plantain is! If they're getting too brown and not cooked through, turn down the heat. If they look a little pale, turn up the heat. They'll be an orange, raw color when you start and you want this to all be gone by the time you're done. The total cooking time can be anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Add oil as needed. You don't want a deep fry nor do you want the pan to be dry. When done, transfer to a paper-lined plate to drain.
Fry eggs.
On each plate top a portion of rice with an egg and serve with avocado, tomato and plantains. Sprinkle sea salt over egg, avocado, tomato and plantains. Enjoy!
