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Sweet & Savory Fried Sweet Plantains are at the Heart of Authentic Caribbean Cuisine...
- Stephanie Blanc
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 28
Bienvenue to my blog mini-series, titled "Miami Vices," where I take you on a sweet, savory, & flavorful, journey, with me to Miami via my palette.
Now, that you know, (That's if you read my previous blog post) I love Miami for various reasons. It's such a fun, lively, & vibrant city! The bright colors, the art-deco-inspired architecture, amidst the gorgeous weather, & palm trees serving as backdrop, exude such a stimulating energy, that makes one want to just carpe diem! At least it does for me, and SO, I'm still off of my high from my trip and thought that I would seize the opportunity on showing you how to make one of my most favorite dishes EVERRRR, and that is fried sweet plantain with pikliz, or as we say in creole, Banane Douce avec Pikliz.
If you had the pleasure of growing up on Caribbean food like I did, then I would bet a pretty penny that this is one of your favorite dishes as well. I'm talking my Ma couldn't even finish making these & the plate would be empty within 5 minutes or less...Watch me make it here!
Now, when purchasing your sweet plantains you're going to want to make sure they look like the below image....I know these do not look too appealing nor appetizing, but trust me these are gold and the best kinds for the magic that we're about to chef up!
Now one may wonder what this dish has to do with Miami. And so I'm glad to share why I chose this dish to be the star of this episode.
As mentioned previously, one of the draws for me to this city, is it's people & culture and when you dive deep into Miami's history and present day populace, you might be surprised to know that Haitians & Latinos, primarily, Cubans, make up a large portion of Miami's community. Reason being, Miami acting as a pivotal destination point for many Haitian & Cuban immigrants, largely in part due to escaping their respective countries in effort to seek refuge from intense dictatorship & political upheaval.
The first Haitian immigrants arrived in early 1960s and the # of migrants increased to over 70,000 in the early 1970s-1 of them being my own late grandfather, who I was surprised to recently find out arrived to Miami by boat. In spite of Haiti & Cuba being their own unique, respective cultures, there are a slew of similarities amongst the type of foods eaten & their cooking methods. Fried plantains being one popular meal cooked across many Caribbean, Latin, & African countries. So, I think this dish not only highlights, but beautifully orchestrates the kinship that exists between these two groups of people.
"Fried Sweet Plantains, Mojo Sauce, & Pikliz"
Fried Sweet Plantains
-Several Ripe Sweet Plantains
-1.5 Cups of Vegetable Oil or Oil of choice
-Peel back plantain skin. -Pinch of salt & or sugar is optional
Cuban Mojo Sauce
-2 Garlic Cloves
-Oregano
-Salt & Pepper
-Splash of Olive Oil
-Splash of Lemon Juice
-Splash of Orange Juice
-1 Tbsp of Pikliz
Pikliz Relish
- 1 Cup Shredded Red, Orange, & Green Bell Peppers
-1/2 Cup Lime Juice
-1 Onion Bulb
-2 Scallions
-5 Scotch Bonnet Peppers
-4 Cloves Garlic
-1 Teaspoon Salt
-2 Cups Vinegar
Now you could just eat them like this on their own ORRRR you can elevate the taste w/another layer of flavor for some added dimension w/this cuban mojo sauce. And if you’re really up for a challenge, then I dare you to top it off with some pikliz (!!!)
Ahhh pikliz...Is the quintessential Haitian condiment...If I had to describe it in layman's terms....I guess the closest thing to it would be spicy coleslaw, but that’s not the BEST description cause I am not a fan of coleslaw, but I LOVEEE me some pikliz! (chuckles); To make this just follow the recipe in my blog, or buy it in-store...BUT fare warning pikliz is NOT for the faint of heart; So, if you’re someone who is scared of spice then definitely skip this part haha!!
Photo Credit: Purroy Productions
Directions for Fried Sweet Plantains
Step 1 - Preheat oil on medium high-heat.
Step 2 - Cut off plantain ends & slice down the middle.
Step 3 - Peel back plantain skin.
Step 4 - Slice pieces in whatever shape you prefer.
Step 5 - Once the oil is hot enough (usually popping is the indicator; Place the plantains slices 1 by 1; Flipping them over occasionally until they take on your preferred color; I prefer mine looking like they are almost burnt to a crisp haha!!
Step 6 - Prepare a plate or serving dish w/paper towels to absorb the excess oil & transfer the plantains 1-by-1.
Step 7 - Once the oil is hot enough (usually popping is the indicator; Place the plantains slices 1 by 1; Flipping them over occasionally until they take on your preferred color; I prefer mine looking like they are almost burnt to a crisp haha!!
Directions for Cuban Mojo Sauce
Combine ingredients & mash together until you reach a texturized liquid-sauce consistency.
Directions for Pikliz
Step 1 - Combine all ingredients in a bowl & mix together until you reach a texturized liquid-sauce consistency.
Step 2 - Pack all ingredients in a decent size jar & top it off with vinegar.
Step 3 - Refrigerate & et marinate for at least 3-5 days for ultimate spiciness.
Now it’s your turn guys! Make sure to share pix of your dishes & tag ya girl! is dedicated to my late father, Theodore Alfred Blanc. He was always proud of his roots & used that as fuel to attain his version of the
american dream. Peep the mini-replica of his acoustic guitar in the image above, which I recall he often played when I was a little...
Until next time...Bon bagay oui!
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