Bolon de Verde (Ecuadorian Green Plantain Balls)
A classic Ecuadorian dish of mashed fried green plantains shaped into balls, usually stuffed with fresh cheese or crumbled pork crackling (chicharron), and eaten for breakfast with a fried egg and coffee. The cookbook page held only a linked cooking video with no written recipe, so the method below is a reconstructed classic version.
Ingredients
| 4 pcs | Green plantains | |
| — | Oil for frying | |
| 3 cloves | Garlic, mashed | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | Butter |
| 150 g | Fresh cheese, grated (or crumbled pork crackling) | |
| to taste | Salt |
Instructions
(Reconstructed classic method)
- Peel the green plantains and cut them into thick chunks.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the plantain chunks over medium heat until golden and tender but not crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Drain.
- While still hot, mash the plantains with the mashed garlic, salt and a knob of butter (or a little of the frying oil) until you have a smooth, pliable dough.
- Fold in the grated fresh cheese (or crumbled pork crackling). Adjust salt.
- Take portions of the mixture and shape into balls or slightly flattened rounds, tucking extra cheese into the centre if you like a molten filling.
- Optionally pan-fry the balls briefly on all sides to crisp and colour the outside.
- Serve warm, traditionally with a fried egg, aji (chili sauce) and coffee.