April showers brought May flowers, and also the long-awaited release of Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue: 275 Recipes, 53 Countries, 6 Continents of Great Flavors. Steven, his assistant Nancy, myself and a couple of other conscientious crew busted out the recipe-testing portion of the book while tucked away in the lush tropical enclave of Coconut Grove, Miami, last March.

Aside from Steven’s obvious passion, impressive breadth of knowledge and unwavering enthusiasm for foods produced from charcoal-fueled implementation, I was taken with the extensive global research devoted to the project. The end result is a masterful compilation of 275 unique recipes stemming from humans’ most primal form of cooking – with fire. The recipes and techniques will guide as you transform hot, licking flames into delectable smoke-kissed, mostly simple to execute, yet often sophisticated, dishes assured to please any palate on the planet.

Case in point is this Colombian recipe for grilled plantains, easily one of my favorites from the testing session. The plaintains natural sugars caramelize during their time on the grill, guava paste adds another element of fruity sweetness, and the soft, warm cheese adds a contrasting piquant bite of salt which indeed elevates this dish of gooey goodness to sophisticated heights. The whipped cream is a gentle cooling fillip, as would be a scoop of vanilla ice cream or drizzles of crema fresca.

Although the recipe states as a yield four servings, this is a hearty dessert, and depending on the size of the preceding meal, IMHO, four grilled, cheese-stuffed plantains could easily satisfy eight.

GRILLED SWEET PLANTAINS OR BANANAS
WITH GUAVA AND SALTY CHEESE

Source: Planet Barbecue by Steven Raichlen (Workman, 2010)
Method: Direct or indirect grilling
*Serves: 4
Origin: Bogota, Colombia

FOR THE FRUIT:

4 very ripe plantains or large ripe bananas
6 ounces mild salty cheese such as queso blanco
6 ounces guava paste

FOR THE SPICED WHIPPED CREAM:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)

ADVANCE PREPARATION:

The plantains can be stuffed and the spiced whipped cream can be made up to 4 hours ahead.

Prepare the plantains or bananas: Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, make a deep lengthwise slit in the concave side of each plantain or banana.  The slit should run from one end of the fruit to the other and should be about 1-inch deep and almost to, but not through, the skin on the end.  Gently press the ends of the plantain toward the center and squeeze the sides to open the slit.

Cut the cheese into thin strips about 1-inch long and 1/4-inch thick (most queso blanco comes in 4-inch blocks, so you’ll need a couple of strips to fill each plantain).
Cut the guava paste into strips of the same size.  Stuff the cheese and guava strips into the slits in the fruit, trimming the pieces as needed to fill the plantains.

Make the spiced whipped cream: Refrigerate the metal bowl and beaters of a mixer to chill.  Place the cream in the chilled bowl and beat until soft peaks form.  Add the confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and rum, if using, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Refrigerate the whipped cream until you are ready to serve.  The recipe can be prepared to this stage up to 4 hours ahead.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling, place a drip pan in the center, and preheat the grill to medium-high (400 degrees F).  Arrange the plantains stuffed side up in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat.  The plantains should run the same direction as the bars of the grate; this will hold them upright.  Grill the plantains until they are browned on the bottom, the flesh is soft, and the cheese and guava paste are bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Transfer the plantains to a platter or plates.  Spoon the spiced whipped cream on top.  To eat, scoop the plantain flesh, cheese, and guava out of the skin.

What has Steven swaddled in this cloth and set ablaze? The answer is NOT my dirty laundry. Pick up a copy of Planet Barbecue to uncover the mystery. Books are now available for purchase from the  Barbecue Bible website and Amazon.com.