Roasted Plantains with Chili-Peanut Lime Salsa and Feta is a bold and flavorful dish that balances sweetness, spice, and tang. The caramelized plantains are roasted until golden and tender, then topped with a zesty salsa made of chili, peanuts, and fresh lime juice. Crumbled feta adds a creamy, salty contrast, making this dish a perfect mix of textures and flavors. It’s a vibrant side or appetizer that brings a delicious twist to any meal.
Roasted Plantains with Chili-Peanut Lime Salsa and Feta
Ingredients
- 2 dried guajillo chiles
- 1 dried chipotle chile
- 1 dried cascabel chile
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 1 dried mulato chile
- 2 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 ounces unsalted peanuts
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 5 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 overripe plantains
- 6 tbsp chile-peanut lime salsa
- 2/3 cup feta cheese
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
Instructions
- Put all the dried chiles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them so they’re fully submerged. Soak for 10 minutes. Remove them from the water and transfer to a food processor.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, gently heat the unpeeled garlic cloves and olive oil for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the oil cool.
- Meanwhile, toast the peanuts in a dry pan until fragrant, 6 to 10 minutes, then roughly chop them. Add them to the chiles in the food processor.
- Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and add it to the food processor, along with 5 tablespoons of the oil, the sugar, lime juice and zest, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse the mixture about six times until you reach a coarse consistency. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Transfer the salsa to a sterilized jar and store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
- Preheat the oven to 355°F.
- Place the unpeeled plantains in a baking dish and roast until the skins are black and the insides are completely soft, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Slit the roasted plantains lengthwise. Spoon 3 tablespoons of salsa onto each plantain, crumble feta over the top and serve with lime wedges on the side.
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