Today I am going to teach you how to combine two traditional Caribbean ingredients into an incredible snack! The result: irresistibly crunchy plantain balls stuffed with a light flaky fish filling. These oh-so delicious stuffed ripe plantains with fish were inspired by my dear aunt, who made them often during my childhood days. I am unsure of how she made them, but I have created my own recipe and wanted to share it with you.
What I love about this recipe is that the ingredients are inexpensive. Fried plantains are a welcome side to any meal, and if you are a fish lover then you will certainly enjoy this recipe. Growing up my mom cooked fish a lot; for the most part I pretty much ate all the types of fish. My little one and my husband love fish, so, when I make these, everyone gets to eat them. This appetizer certainly transports me back to Guyana with its big bold Caribbean flavors! And I am super excited to take you on this flavorful journey with me!
We begin with the plantain, a simple dish in both Caribbean and African households; peeled and fried until crisp with natural sweetness. The natural sugars of the plantain are caramelized when fried to form the most enticing flavor. As the plantain ripens, these sugars increase further so the riper the plantain, the sweeter it is. Plantain must be cooked before using to break down the starch which then helps the balls to bind together.
Whip up these Caribbean stuffed plantain balls with fish in no time for the perfect appetizer or snack. It can be served with various dipping sauces, but my personal favorite is a combination of Thousand Island dressing + mayo + hot sauce + a pinch of honey. Mix it all together and thank me later! The real surprise for your guests will be their first bite; spicy, sweet, crispy, and tender. You can expect them to be reaching for another before finishing the first.
Helpful Tips
- The plantain mixture will be a bit sticky, therefore, when forming the ball place a bit of flour onto the palm of your hands.
- You want to get the fullness of the fish in the balls so don’t hesitate to add a good amount.
- When flattening the plantains make sure it’s not too thick. The whole idea is to have more fish than plantains.
- Be sure to coat the balls very well in bread crumbs. This ensures that the ball is nice and crunchy on the outside
Caribbean Stuffed Plantains Balls with Fish
- Prep Time: 30-35 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Delicious savory plantains stuffed with Cod fish. You will want to give this one a try!
Ingredients
- 3 pieces Cod Fish Fillet or any fish of your choice
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp finely chopped onions
- ¼ tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp of red wine vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tsp chopped cilantro
- 1 small hot pepper
- ¼ tsp chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp finely chopped celery
- Garlic salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 plantains, semi-ripe
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 cups oil for frying
Instructions
Fish
- In a small pot, boil cod fish for 5-10 minutes to soften; it will give a flaky consistency.
- Place a skillet on medium-low heat and add 1 tbsp oil, then add tomato paste and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes then add fish. Immediately add lemon juice, vinegar, cilantro, hot pepper, chicken bouillon and garlic salt to taste. Mix very well.
- Allow to cook for 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool
Plantain
- Place a medium pan on high heat, then add the plantains and enough water to cover. Cook the plantains for 15 minutes until soft.
- Strain the plantains then place into food processor. Add salt and pepper then pulse for 2 minutes. Add 1 egg yolk then pulse until it forms into a ball.
Forming the plantain balls
- To form the plantain balls, first, take 1 tbsp of plantain in your hands and roll into a tight ball, then flatten the plantain with the base of your hand. Next take 1 ½ tbsp of cooked codfish and roll into a ball, place the ball of saltfish into the center of the plantain. Fold the plantain over to enclose the saltfish and repeat for the remaining mixture.
- Into three separate bowls add the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs.
- Dip the plantain balls first into the flour, then the egg, then finally the breadcrumbs. Place on a tray and repeat with the remainder of the plantain balls.
- In a skillet, heat up oil on medium-high heat then fry the plantain balls in batches.
- Fry the plantain balls for about 5 minutes until golden brown then remove onto kitchen paper.
- Serve hot with a cool ranch dressing.
- Category: Appetizer
I used this recipe just a few days ago. It was good, my husband loved it. I substituted the cod for salmon though. Great taste!
Author
I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe, certainly one of my favs 🙂
Can you roll the balls ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to fry?
yes you can 🙂
Hi! Are you using dried salted cod in this recipe? Like “bacalao” in Brazil?
I actually did not use dried salted cod…..I used Cod fish fillet. I removed All/most of the water using my hands after it was boiled hence the dry look but you can use any fish you like. Hope this helps 🙂