Piononos de Amarillo

Description

Fried filled ripe plantain rolls

Ingredients

Outer shell

• 3 plantains, ripe but not overripe
• 1 cup frying oil
• round toothpicks, as needed

Filling

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoonful diced pitted olives, pepper or onion-stuffed
• 1 small green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 tablespoonful chopped onion
• 1 tablespoonful olive oil
• salt, to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ cups lean ground meat
• ½ cup string beans, diced
• 1 tablespoonful raisins
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups frying oil

Directions

1. Peel the plantains, discard the outer rind.
2. Slice the plantains lengthwise. You should get four slices out of an average ripe plantain.
3. Pour the frying oil in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat.
4. Fry the plantains, a few at a time, until they change color to a light golden tan.
5. Remove the plantains. Allow to cool enough to handle comfortably or wear cooking gloves.
6. Bend each plantain piece to form a round shape. Use one or two round toothpicks to hold the ends of the round, hollow plantains.
7. Add enough filling (see below for the recipe) to fill up the hollow inside each plantain.
8. Baste the ends of the filling with beaten eggs. Fry over medium heat, using just enough oil to cover the bottom of your frying pan. Fry for two to three minutes or until the egg basting at the bottom of the pan looks cooked (omelet-like).
9. Carefully lift each pionono, turn over, and fry on the other side.

Filling

1. Sauté the first seven filling ingredients (up to but not including the meat) for about five minutes over medium high heat.
2. Stir the ground meat into the ingredients already in the saucepan.
3. Cook for about ten minutes, covered, over medium heat.
4. Add the string beans and the raisins.
5. Continue to cook for another five minutes or until the meat is cooked but not dry.
6. You may want to remove the bay leaf at this time.
7. Use the filling as directed above.