Cheese-Stuffed Mofongo Bites with Mayo-Ketchup

Method

1. Trim, score and peel the plantains and cut them into 3 cm chunks. Put the water in a 20 cm pot and bring to a rolling boil on high heat, about 10 min.

   Add in this stepWater (for boiling) 1½ L

   high heat

2. Add the salt and plantains and boil on medium-high heat for 16 min, until a fork slides in with no resistance and the edges look slightly translucent, like a boiled potato. Boiling instead of deep-frying means no pot of hot oil.

   Add in this stepSalt (for the cooking water) 1½ tspGreen plantains (large) 2

   medium-high heat

3. While they cook, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup and lime juice for the mayo-ketchup and chill it. Cut the mozzarella into 1.5 cm cubes, crush the chicharrón finely in a zip bag with a rolling pin and mince the garlic very finely.

   Add in this stepMayonnaise 3 tbspKetchup 1½ tbspLime ¼

4. Drain the plantains, saving a cup of the cooking water, and return them to the pot. While hot, add the butter, garlic and crushed chicharrón and mash with a masher or fork. If it crumbles, add the cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time until it holds together like a dough. Leave to cool for 5 min, until you can handle it.

   Add in this stepButter, softened 25 gGarlic cloves 3Chicharrón (crispy fried pork rinds) 40 g

5. With lightly wet hands, take about 2 tablespoons of mash, flatten it, put a cube of mozzarella in the middle and wrap it up into a ball, sealing it with no gaps so the cheese can't leak. Makes: ≈10.

   Add in this stepLow-moisture mozzarella (block) 60 g

6. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat for 2 minutes, add the balls and fry for 6 min, rolling them around, until deep golden and crisp all over. Pan and batches: 24 cm · 1×. Leave space between the balls so they crisp rather than steam. Watch for spitting oil.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for pan-frying) 4 tbsp

   medium heat

7. Drain briefly on paper towels, rest for 1 minute and serve with the mayo-ketchup. The cheese inside is very hot, so take a bite and let it cool a moment.