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Prep time
40 minutes
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Cook time
15 minutes
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serves
2
Author Notes
My mother, a Brazilian who grew up in Cuba, is obsessed with plantains. She eats them alongside pretty much every meal. My sister and I were brought up in the same way, meaning my fruit bowl is almost never without a couple of blackened plantains. There is a plantain recipe for every stage of ripeness, from hard and green to soft and black. This recipe calls for plantains that are ripe and sweet—preferably nearly all black, with only some canary yellow marks. In truth, I’ll only ever cook plantain at this stage of ripeness. Unripe/ or green plantain is no substitute here because you won’t get that sweet, caramelized layer we’re looking for. -Ixta Belfrage —Food52
Test Kitchen Notes
*You’ll only use 120 grams of coconut milk, but take all the contents out of the tin and whisk well to combine the solid and the liquid before measuring out what’s needed.
Excerpted from Mezcla: Recipes to Excite by Ixta Belfrage ©Ten Speed Press, 2022 —Food52
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Upside-Down Plantain Omelet With Scotch Bonnet Salsa From Ixta Belfrage
Ingredients
- For the omelet:
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6
large eggs
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120 grams
full-fat coconut milk* (at least 70% coconut extract)
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1/2 teaspoon
freshly grated ginger (or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger)
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1
garlic clove, finely grated
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1 teaspoon
freshly grated lime zest
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1/2 teaspoon
fine salt
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5 grams
fresh chives, finely chopped
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5 grams
fresh coriander, finely chopped
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40 grams
spring greens or collard greens, very thinly sliced
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100 grams
feta, broken into medium chunks
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2
very ripe medium plantains (460 grams)
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30 grams
ghee or unsalted butter
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
- For the salsa & to serve:
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200 grams
extra-ripe cherry tomatoes, such as Datterini
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1 teaspoon
freshly grated lime zest
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1 tablespoon
freshly squeezed lime juice
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1 1/2 tablespoons
olive oil
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3/4 teaspoon
flaked salt, plus more for serving
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1 to 2
Scotch Bonnet chiles (or a milder chile, like habanero, if you prefer)
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Olive oil, for serving
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Flaky sea salt, for serving
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Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
- For the omelet:
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Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C on the convection setting.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, lime zest, and ½ teaspoon of fine salt. Stir in the chives, coriander, spring greens, and feta. Set aside.
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Place a medium, ovenproof, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the ghee and the oil. Once the ghee has melted, layer the plantain slices to cover the bottom of the pan, then set a timer for 3 minutes and cook without stirring or flipping the plantain, to create a caramelized, golden layer on the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat, then pour over the egg mixture to evenly cover the base, and leave to fry for another 1 minute undisturbed. The omelet should be set around the edges but still liquid in the middle.
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Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until the omelet is just set on top, with a good wobble in the center. Don’t be afraid of this wobble–the omelet will set a little as it cools, but also we (or at least I) want the omelet to have a soft, oozing center! Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to release the sides of the omelet from the pan.
- For the salsa & to serve:
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Finely chop the cherry tomatoes into very small pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl, using your hands as a natural sieve so you don’t take all the liquid and seeds with you (otherwise the salsa will be quite soggy). Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, oil, and flaked salt.
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Very finely chop the Scotch Bonnet—they vary substantially in heat level, so start with a quarter of a chile, removing the seeds and pith if you prefer a milder heat. Add to the salsa, stir and taste, then add more to taste, up to 2 finely chopped chiles.
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Place a large plate on top of the pan, then quickly flip the whole thing over so the omelet ends up on the plate. Hopefully all the plantain pieces will end up on the omelet, but if not, just peel them from the pan and place them back on top, golden-brown side up.
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Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with flaked salt. Serve with the salsa on the side, and some extra lime wedges squeezed on top.
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