A week or so ago I went to my local green grocer and saw some beautil plantains. I had no idea if they are edible raw or not so did not dare to buy them but went home instead to do some research on the net.
Most of the information I found online stated that plantain is not palatable raw, it must be cooked (fried) or if you try to eat it raw it's skin must be black otherwise it is unripe and it will taste like unripe persimmon and it will give you horrible cramps.
Well, I always have been a kind of rebel so went back to the grocer the same day and came home with 3 plantains. Their skin was a bit yellowish but I thought I will give them another couple of days on the kitchen counter to ripen and then I will give them a try.
Three (or more?) days later their skin became a dark yellow colour (with just a few black spots by the ends) and I declared them ripe enough to process.
I think my recipe is great and the dish will keep in the fridge for a few days. I suggest preparing it in the evening so that the flavours can infuse and come out overnight. My plantains tasted fantastic, they had a slight banana-y flavour but the flesh stays firm even after being marinated for days. It is just devine!
I would imagine you could add some lemongrass and garlic as well for a more intense asian flavour.
I guess it is at least 4 servings as this is how many times I ate from it. It tastes great on its own but even better with cherry tomatoes and raw crackers.