Recipe - Fufu (Garlicky Plantain Puree)

One fourth cup Coarsely chopped pecans; or
pine nuts
2 Ripe plantains;, peeled and
cut or sliced up
4 cup Chicken stock
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 Scallions;, green part only,
chopped
3 Cloves garlic;, minced
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper to taste

Preheat the broiler. Spread pecans or pine nuts on baking sheet and broil
for 1 to 1 One half minutes, or until fragrant, stirring once. Set aside. In a
large saucepan, combine plantains and stock and bring to a boil. Boil for
10 to 15 minutes, or until plantains are very tender. Drain the plantains,
reserving the liquid. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add
scallions and garlic and saut‚ for 30 seconds, or until fragrant but not
brown. Add the reserved plantains and mash with a potato masher, adding 3/4
to 1 cup of the reserved stock, as needed, until puree has the consistency
of mashed potatoes. Stirring the toasted pecans or pine nuts and season
with salt and pepper.

NOTES : Boiled mashed plantains are served throughout the Spanish speaking
Caribbean. The name of this popular side dish changes from one
island to the next: FUFU in Cuba, MANGU in the Dominican Republic, and
MONFONGO in Puerto Rico. The puree is often flavored with pork fat,
cracklings, and garlic. This more healthful version substitutes toasted
nuts for cracklings and olive oil for the pork fat. Some cooks use green or
semiripe plantains in their FUFU, but I like to use the black
skinned, fully ripe sweet plantains Serves 4
Posted to MCRecipe Digest by Lloyd lloyd2@mindspring.com on Apr 03, 1998