Sustainable plantains

Sustainability in agriculture is what we must strive for in order to reduce our imported food bill. One such food crop is plantain which is available weekly at our markets. It would make sense to process this crop one step further.

Plantain flour is made from dried plantains. Jenson Alexander is an entrepreneur who produces locally-made plantain flour in Cedros. Plantain is a very sustainable food as it can be processed to a packaged product which can easily replace flour in some recipes.

Alexander works out of a small factory which contains a dehydrator and a mill to grind the plantains. He starts with green plantains which he sources from the fields in Granville, peels them and then slices them into thin strips, manually using a mandolin slicer.

He then places them into a dehydrator for eight hours. He can easily process two bunches of plantains at a time, which then gives about four or more pounds of plantain flour. The resulting flour is pale-cream coloured, fine textured with a very slight and pleasant aroma of plantain. His flour is packaged in brown resealable packs labelled Hilen's Plantain Flour, which he has named after his mother.

All very sustainable and 100-per cent local. He is contributing to the food sustainability.

Plantain flour can replace wheat flour in most recipes, bringing flavour and nutrition not contained in wheat flour. It’s easy to work with, contains no gluten and is a good source complex of carbohydrates and fibre.

Swap out your wheat flour out the next time you bake and add some local plantain flour.

Saltfish accras with plantain flour

½ lb salted cod, washed and soaked overnight in lime

1 lime

1 large onion, grated

1 pimento pepper seeded and chopped

½ cup chopped chives

2 tbs French thyme

1 tbs chopped celery

1½ cup plantain flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ cup water

Wash salt fish in lime juice and water, strip and squeeze.

Place in a mixing bowl, add onion, pepper, thyme, chives, celery, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add plantain flour and baking powder, mix.

Add enough milk to make a thick batter, add more water if needed.

Preheat oil and drop by spoonful’s the size of a small egg.

Fry until golden, drain.

Makes 15

Plantain bread

3 cups plantain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

pinch nutmeg

½ cup chopped chives

2 eggs

½ cup yoghurt or (1/4 milk combined with 1 tsp vinegar)

½ cup water

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and chives in a mixing bowl.

Beat eggs and combine with yoghurt.

Add to dry mixture, stir just to combine. Add a small amount of water and stir to a firm batter.

Place mixture into a 9-inch square baking tin, sprinkle with black pepper and cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes until risen and golden.

Serves 6 to 8

Fish fried in plantain flour

6 slices, kingfish or other fresh fish, about 1-inch

2 tbs fresh green seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground all spice/pimento berries

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup plantain flour

Pinch cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

1 egg lightly beaten

Coconut oil to fry.

Wash then season fish with green seasoning, salt, all spice and pepper, let sit for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a shallow frying pan, dredge fish in plantain flour, then in beaten egg and again in plantain flour, shake off excess and fry in hot oil until golden turning once.

Drain and serve right away.

Makes 6 pieces