Afro-Mexican Cooking Class with Raquel Torres Cerdan- 4 recipes

All photos by Carlos Baizabal  – Raquel objected to this photo because the bracelets are not hygienic.  So don’t wear them when you slice malanga, and especially when you fry it. Those studs will get  really hot.  This is not really a recipe.  Fry the malanga slices in hot oil heated to 375°F until golden.

On our recent gastronomic tour of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, Jan asked me to arrange a cooking class for him. Having taken classes with her before, i suggested Raquel Torres Cerdan.  Besides being a great cook, Raquel specializes in indigenous cuisine and Afro-Mexican cooking.  Ingredients for the first are nearly impossible to find in the US because it relies on wild greens, mushrooms and such  that do not grow here but the root vegetables (malanga, yuca), plantains and squashes, coconuts and peanuts that form the basis of Afro-Mexican cooking are readily available here so I asked her to develop a menu. We were not able to get through it but here are some photographs and simple recipes of the ones we were able to complete:

Makes 20 – 24 fritters (about 8 servings as appetizer)

2  large,ripe plantains (yellow liberally spotted with black), unpeeled

1 cup cooked black beans (see page 000), preferably a little underdone, drained

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons powdered dried avocado leaf

1 cup mole paste (can be a commercial brand)

Vegetable oil for shaping and frying the plantain cakes

Cut the plantains in half crosswise.  You may be able to gauge their ripeness from looking at them; riper ones will have almost no visible core, while greener ones will display a central core nearly 1/4 inch thick.  Place the halved plantains in a medium-sized saucepan and add water to cover by about 1 inch.  Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to maintain a low rolling boil and cook until they are soft enough to mash, testing with a knife tip as described above after about 25 minutes.  Drain and let cool.

While the plantains cook, place the beans in a small mixing bowl and mash to a fine puree with the powdered avocado leaf, using a potato masher or heavy pestle.  Set aside.

Peel the cooked plantains, place in a large mixing bowl, and mash very thoroughly with a (clean) potato masher or pestle.  (Alternatively, you can puree them in a food processor, but take care to stop before they become over processed and gluey, which makes them hard to work with.)

Rub a light film of oil over your palms and shape the mashed plantains into 20 – 24 balls about the size of golf balls.  Remoistening your hands with oil as necessary, place them one at a time on a lightly oiled plate or work surface and flatten with your fingertips into rounds about 2 1/2 – 3 inches across.  Place about 2 teaspoons of the mashed bean mixture in the center of each round and top with a dollop of mole paste; fold up the sides and press together to make a stubby cigar shape with well-sealed edges.  Place the filled “cigars” on a lightly oiled cookie sheet as they are shaped and cover with a moist tea towel.  They can be made up to 2 hours in advance of cooking, though I recommend refrigerating if they have to sit longer than 15 – 20 minutes.

When you are ready to cook and serve the fritters, place a deep, heavy medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat and add oil to a depth of at least 1 1/2 – 2 inches.  Heat to 375ºF.  Fry the filled rolls 3 or 4 at a time, turning to cook evenly on all sides, for about 3 minutes or until golden.  As they are done, lift out with a skimmer or slotted spatula and let drain briefly on paper towels.  Serve hot, either plain, with any preferred hot sauce, or with Mexican crema.

Plátanos rellenos