Caramelized Plantains With Beans, Scallions and Lemon

Those of us who live in Latin America and constantly eat ripe and green plantains, first peel the ripe plantains and then bake them or fry them. You can cut big chunks of (peeled) ripe plantains and bake them for 20-30 min or use the air fryer, which works very well. In my view, the NYT recipe is unduly elaborate.

What is a 'jammy egg'? I am 71 years old and have cooked all variety of eggs and never encountered this term. Please explain. Thanks.

Fantastic! Made almost as written (added 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil; veg oil instead of olive). Didn't think it was too sweet, and I don't like sweet things. Had no trouble peeling the plantains after they were baked. The fussiest part about this recipe was the scallions. They were a pain in the tuchus to cut after they were broiled- very ropey and covered in oil. I think next time I would top the dish with raw chopped scallions, or chop first then broil them. Might increase lemon juice next time.

For those of us who are Latino and eat ripe plantains, this is a welcome diversion from the constant preparation of tostones. Made this morning with a jammy egg and a bed of fresh arugula from the garden per the author’s suggestion and it was a wonderful Sunday brunch. Exactly like what I would order at my favorite crowded cafe while people watching, if not for COVID.

Hi Rita, a "jammy egg" is just a boiled eggs that's still a little soft in the middle. Not totally runny, and not set - almost spreadable, like a jam.

A lot of work for the humble but versatile plantain. I simplified it by pealing them and cutting into chunks and baking at 350 for 30 minutes as per the recipe. I made this into a sort of Latino rice and beans dish using black beans and coconut oil instead of olive. With the addition of the rice it make a delicious satisfying vegan meal.

I don’t think my plantains were ripe enough and I also agree with the most helpful comment I have seen on here, peel the plantains before roasting them. It’s a PITA to try and peel them post roast, least it was for me. I served this with some jammy eggs and over a bed of fresh spinach. It was delicious and would have been better with riper plantains. ;)

So my experience of this dish was that the plantains were a bit dry cooked with this method. Baking and then broiling just made them even drier. However would I serve maduros and beans on a bed of greens with a lemon and oil dressing again? Yes. Would I top plantains with dill and cilantro again, also yes. Will I ever bake and then broil plantains? No. I might do this dish again with frying, which I assume was avoided to be a healthier meal.

This is a wonderful dish so sweet and savory. I added cooked bulgur to the bean salad. As a vegan this was the main dish. Next time I will try it with sweet potato slices. It would be a great complement with fish, beef or chicken I also added garlic to the dish. I felt this was missing. Lastly, I am Caribbean so I am used to sweetness ripe bananas. Some make find the the dish too sweet with brown sugar glaze. I loved it but if you do not love sweet food I would cut the amount of brown sugar.

My plantains were very ripe (practically black) and they were great. I used black beans that I cooked and very flavorful, I put the cooked,peeled plantains in with them. I liked the brown sugar glaze on them, but a little less ginger possibly. the scallions were like ropes and not necessary. Next time I’ll eliminate the scallions. Herbs as written.

This is a lot of effort for a mediocre result. The flavors were so-so, textures not as good as expected. For me it was a waste of ingredients.

@Rita Jammy eggs are in-between hard and soft boiled, but closer to soft. The yolk is not runny, but not fully cooked.

I much prefer my plantains turning black all over, when they are the sweetest they will be. I would peel and then sauté them, easier than baking and then broiling. I am not a fan of charred food, but this would be great with black beans and a lovely color contrast as well.

I agree with Maria that this recipe is too complicated. Ripe plantains caramelize without sugar. Just a quick sauté is enough.

This was excellent. Having read the comments, I decided to cover the plantains with aluminum foil for the initial baking. This worked great: preserved their moisture, and the peel came off very easily. Taste was excellent, though the dish needed a little extra salt (and chili flakes) at the very end (on the plate). Will definitely be making it again.