Plantain

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Ripe plantains have peels that are almost completely black whereas the firm-ripe ones called for in this recipe are mottled black and yellow. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Plantains are a staple in Latino cuisine, but mangu, made with green plantains, is a Dominican specialty.

This is one of my all-time favorite sauces. It is excellent with grilled or roasted poultry or pork dishes. When I travel and cook at various events, I often include this on the menu. This recipe is a component of Tamarind Barbecued Duck with Smoky Plantain Crema .

The tamarind, a tropical shade tree native to India, also grows in Southeast Asia, Africa, Hawaii, Mexico, South America, and, of course, the Caribbean. Its long brown brittle bean-like pods each hold a sweet-sour sticky brown pulp containing up to ten seeds. Its flavor is akin to dates mixed with lemon and peaches. Just as we in the West often use a squeeze of lemon to lift the richness of a dish, in Asia they use tamarind. The American palate is not accustomed to the tamarind's particular brand of sourness, and so Western dishes using the fruit are usually tempered by ingredients that soften its acidity. In this dish, the heavy cream in the Smoky Plantain Crema balances the tamarind's acidity, while the chipotles complement the flavor of the grilled duck meat. When preparing this, note that the duck should marinate overnight.

This recipe for chiles en macedonia combines ingredients from three states—Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacan. It came from the late Juan Diego Michel, who taught in Billy Cross's schools in Napa Valley and PuertoVallarta. The dish was a favorite of the Michel family in Jalisco, where, in his younger days, Juan Diego had his own restaurant and used the recipes from 200 years ago that had been passed down to him. To Cross, he was a Mexican-cooking mentor.

At The Great House at Villa Madeleine in St. Croix, they often use a native fish called wahoo for this interesting dish, but swordfish is another nice choice. They also make the chutney with the very hot Scotch bonnet pepper. A serrano chili produces a slightly milder version.

Marinating the pork in citrus juices gives it a flavor that is perfectly complemented by the slightly spicy sauce. If you cannot find plantains, use ripe bananas.

No backyard barbecue is complete at the Rodriguez household without some of these plantains. Once you have tried them, you'll feel the same way. The important factor here is to choose plantains that are neither too green nor too ripe. Only the yellow and sweet but firm ones will do, the ones that are called "pinton."