Mofongo Relleno with Shrimp Criollo

Method

1. Trim, score and peel the plantains and cut them into 2.5 cm rounds. Cut the pork belly into 1 cm cubes and pat them very dry. Dice the onion and pepper into 5 mm pieces, mince the sauce garlic and chop the cilantro. Pat the shrimp dry and keep them in the fridge.

2. Put the pork belly in a dry 20 cm frying pan and cook on medium heat for 12 min, stirring often, until the fat has rendered and the cubes are deep golden and crisp. Lift them onto paper towels and sprinkle with salt: this is your homemade chicharrón. Pour the fat left in the pan into a small bowl and keep it.

   Add in this stepPork belly, skin on if possible 100 gSalt ¼ tsp

   medium heat

3. In a mortar, crush the mojo garlic with salt to a smooth paste, then stir in the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the reserved pork fat, which adds a savoury depth.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves (for the mojo) 5Salt 0.4 tspExtra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp

4. Melt the butter in a 20 cm frying pan and cook the onion, pepper and sauce garlic on medium heat for 4 min until soft and the onion is translucent. Pour in the wine, turn up to medium-high heat and bubble for 1 min 30 sec until reduced by half and no longer smelling of alcohol.

   Add in this stepButter 15 gOnion ½Green bell pepper ½Garlic cloves (for the sauce) 2Dry white wine 50 ml

   medium heat→medium-high heat

5. Add the tomato sauce, stock, oregano and salt and simmer on medium-low heat for 5 min until slightly thickened. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 min, just until pink, opaque all the way through and curled into a loose C (a tight O means overcooked and rubbery). Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro and the lime juice.

   Add in this stepTomato sauce (plain passata) 120 mlChicken stock 120 mlDried oregano ½ tspSalt ¼ tspMedium shrimp, peeled and deveined 200 gCilantro, chopped 2 tbspLime ½

   medium-low heat

6. Pour the frying oil into a 22 cm deep pot, no more than halfway up, and heat on medium-high heat for 8 min to 170 °C. Keep wet utensils away.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil for frying 700 ml

   medium-high heat

7. Lower in the plantains gently and fry on medium heat for 8 min, turning, until pale golden and a fork slides in easily. Batches: 1×. Drain, turn off the burner and leave the oil to cool in the pot.

   Add in this stepGreen plantains (large) 2

   medium heat

8. Pound the hot plantains one portion at a time in the mortar with an equal share of the garlic oil and the chopped chicharrón, keeping a little back for garnish; add a spoonful of the shrimp sauce if it feels dry. Press firmly into a lightly oiled small bowl, push the back of a spoon into the centre to make a well, and turn it out onto a plate. Fill the well with shrimp, spoon the sauce around and top with the reserved chicharrón. Serve at once.