Happy New Year 2022!
As every year, New Year's Eve is a time to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new one with new resolutions, dreams, ideas, and hopes. This year, that hope is especially strong…
Like the New Year's Eve before last (2020), it was a celebration with many restrictions. Many of us celebrated in smaller groups than usual. But I hope it was still a nice celebration.
My family and I didn't have any guests for New Year's Eve this year. This has never happened before – there's a first time for everything, as they say! – but we still managed to have a lovely celebration.
Besides our traditional fondue chinoise, I again took the time to conjure up some delicious appetizers. Not as lavish as usual this year, but still very original.
This time the focus was on plantains . I use yellow plantains more often than green ones, so I wanted to include green ones in the menu this time. The result was the following delicious appetizers:
- Green plantain crackers with guacamole with/without smoked salmon (for the veggie version)
- Yellow plantain fries with guacamole and/or smoked salmon
- Yellow plantain skewers with smoked salmon
There was also a small vegetable platter with guacamole dip .
The green plantain crackers
As mentioned, the plantain crackers were made from green/unripe plantains. These were first peeled, then cut into thick rounds, and finally fried twice. Afterward, they were topped with delicious, freshly made guacamole and smoked salmon. For the vegetarian version, I simply omitted the salmon and garnished them with a few pomegranate seeds instead. For an extra touch of salt, I sprinkled the bites with a little fleur de sel. A true delight!
The Yellow Plantain Bites
For the yellow plantain bites, the plantains were also cut into slightly thicker circles, deep-fried, and topped with guacamole, smoked salmon, or cream cheese. The result is visually appealing… and delicious.
The yellow plantains skewers
For the skewers, I only used yellow plantains. They can be served as open skewers, optionally topped with guacamole and salmon or with cream cheese and salmon. Alternatively, they can be made into a sandwich with salmon and/or guacamole.
The vegetable platter
Green plantain crackers with guacamole and smoked salmon
Ingredients
For the Green Plantains Crackers
- 2 green/unripe plantains
- 500 ml frying oil
For the guacamole
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 small red onion or 1 shallot
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 5-6 drops of lime
- 1 pinch of freshly ground pepper
- 1 pinch of fleur de sel
For the salmon
- approx. 100g smoked salmon
For decoration
- Pomegranate seeds
- Fleur de sel
Instructions
For the Green Plantains Crackers
- Peel the plantains and cut them into round pieces about 2cm thick, then deep-fry them in frying oil for about 3 minutes until golden brown
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 2 minutes, then use a bottle or glass to crush each one from top to bottom until the pieces are flat
- Then fry the crushed plantain pieces in hot oil for another 3 minutes or so until golden brown. Place them on a paper towel and let them cool completely
The guacamole
- Peel the avocado and place it in a mortar (a hand mixer also works) together with the peeled and finely chopped onion and garlic
- Add freshly ground pepper, lime juice and a pinch of fleur de sel and grind until the desired consistency is reached, then season to taste.
The composition
- Get the previously chilled plantain crackers, top each piece with either guacamole, smoked salmon or guacamole and smoked salmon
- Arrange on a pretty platter and garnish with pomegranate seeds and fleur de sel
