Puerto Rican
Gluten freeCanoas
Plantain boats with beef
Canoas: Puerto Rican baked ripe plantain 'canoes' filled with beef picadillo and cheese
Canoas, or canoas de plátano maduro, are a Puerto Rican family dinner and party dish from Arecibo to Caguas: whole ripe plantains are baked until soft, slit along the top like a canoe and stuffed with savoury picadillo, then topped with cheese and baked again. Sweet plantain and salty, olive-studded beef is the whole point. The common mistake is using plantains that are too green, which never turn sweet or soft; choose them yellow with plenty of black. The beef must reach 71 °C, and the canoas are ready when the cheese bubbles. Use a cheese made without animal rennet if you avoid it. Chef's tip: brush the plantain skins with oil before the first bake, so they stay supple and don't split.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 560 kcal
Ingredients
- 4 ripe plantainsyellow with black patches
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the picadillo
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- ½ green pepperfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 14 oz beef mince
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ cup passata
- 1 ⅜ oz pimento-stuffed olivessliced
- 1 oz raisins (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F). Cut the ends off 4 ripe plantains, make a shallow slit along the length of each (through the skin only), brush with half of 2 tbsp olive oil and bake on a tray for 25 minutes, until soft.
25 minStep 2: Meanwhile heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and soften 1 onion, ½ green pepper and 3 cloves garlic for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Add 14 oz beef mince, breaking it up, and cook for 6–8 minutes until browned all over with no pink left; it should reach 160°F.
8 minStep 4: Stir in ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, ¾ tsp salt, ½ cup passata, 1 ⅜ oz pimento-stuffed olives and the 1 oz raisins if using, and simmer for 5 minutes until thick.
5 minStep 5: Open the slit on each plantain with a spoon to make a canoe, pressing the flesh to the sides. Pack in the picadillo and top with 3 ½ oz grated mozzarella or mild cheddar.
Step 6: Bake for 10 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve hot in the skins.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does canoas take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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