Bananas and Rice (Crispy Fried Plantains, Yellow Rice, and Chimichurri)
Ingredients
Crispy Fried Plantains
- Green plantains: 2 whole about 600 g total, sliced 1 to 2 inches thick
- Neutral oil for frying algae, avocado, or canola: as needed
- Extra virgin olive oil: 1 to 2 tablespoons 15 to 30 g
- Kosher salt: to taste
Yellow Rice
- Jasmine rice: 2 cups 360 g
- Neutral oil: 2 tablespoons 30 g
- Green cardamom pods: 2 pods lightly cracked
- Annatto seeds: 1 teaspoon 2 g
- Saffron: a small pinch about 0.1 g
- Beef bone broth: 2½ cups 600 g
- Kosher salt: to taste
Chimichurri
- Flat-leaf parsley: 1 cup 30 g, chopped
- Cilantro stems included: 2 cups (60 g), chopped
- Shallot: ¼ cup 40 g, finely minced
- Pickled red peppers Mama Lil’s: ½ to 1 cup (75 to 150 g), chopped
- Lemon zest: from 1 lemon
- Lemon juice: ¼ cup 60 g, or to taste
- Rice wine vinegar: 2 tablespoons 30 g
- Extra virgin olive oil: 1 cup 240 g
- Kosher salt: to taste
- Black pepper: to taste
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium with enough neutral oil to lightly coat the pan. Fry plantain slices until golden and tender, 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer to a tray and let rest briefly.
- Place plantains between parchment and smash until flattened. Return to the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and fry over medium-high until deeply crisp outside and soft inside. Season with salt.
- Toast cardamom, annatto, and saffron in neutral oil until fragrant. Add rice and toast lightly. Pour in beef bone broth, season with salt, cover, and simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then fluff.
- Stir together herbs, shallot, pickled peppers, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Adjust to taste.
- Spoon rice into bowls and top with crispy smashed plantains, protein if using, and chimichurri. The plantains also work on their own as bite-size tostones.