Pastelón with Alcaparrado Picadillo and Cheddar Custard

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Peel the plantains, slice them lengthwise 5 mm thick, brush both sides with 80% of the melted butter and spread them out without overlapping. Roasting instead of frying means less grease and a more even colour.

   Add in this stepVery ripe plantains 2Butter, melted 12 g

   oven

2. Roast in the oven for 18 min, turning once halfway, until the edges are deeply caramelised on both sides. When they come out, turn the oven down to 180 °C.

   oven

3. Chop the onion, pepper, garlic and coriander very finely for the sofrito. Heat the olive oil in a 20 cm pan over medium heat and cook for 5 min, until the moisture has gone and it smells sweet.

   Add in this stepOlive oil 1 tbspOnion ½Green bell pepper ½Garlic cloves 2Chopped coriander (cilantro) 2 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Add the beef and pork and cook over medium-high heat for 6 min; leave it untouched for the first 2 minutes to build a brown crust, then break it up. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, achiote and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more so the paste toasts slightly.

   Add in this stepMinced beef 140 gMinced pork 60 gSalt ¾ tspGround black pepper ¼ tspGround cumin ¼ tspDried oregano ½ tspAchiote (annatto) powder ½ tspTomato paste 2 tsp

   medium-high heat

5. Pour in the wine and let it bubble over medium heat for 2 min, scraping up the browned bits, until the alcohol has cooked off. Add the tomato sauce, halved olives, capers and raisins (the alcaparrado trio) and simmer for 8 min, until thick enough that a spoon drawn through leaves a clear trail.

   Add in this stepDry white wine 60 mlTomato sauce (passata) 80 mlPitted green olives 6Capers 1 tspRaisins 1½ tbsp

   medium heat

6. Butter the 15×15 cm dish with the remaining butter and layer plantain, half the picadillo and a third of the cheddar, repeat, and finish with plantain. Whisk the eggs, cream and half the Parmigiano into a custard, pour it evenly over, and scatter with the remaining cheddar and Parmigiano.

   Add in this stepButter, melted 3 gEggs 2Double (heavy) cream 60 mlGrated cheddar 70 gGrated Parmigiano Reggiano 20 g

7. Bake in the oven at 180 °C for 30 min, until the top is deep golden and the centre feels springy. Rest for 15 minutes so the custard sets and the pastelón slices cleanly.

   oven