🇪🇨 Ecuadorian Plantain Nest

Mashed green plantain basket filled with saucy pork bites and soft-boiled egg.

📝 Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 very green (unripe) plantains

• 2 tbsp butter or neutral oil

• Salt, to taste

• 250 g pork shoulder or pork collar, diced (boneless pork for tacos or pork shoulder steaks work well)

• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 eggs

• Fresh cilantro, for garnish

🍳 Instructions

1. Prepare the plantain mash

• Peel and cut the plantains into chunks.

• Boil in salted water for 20–25 minutes, until fork-tender. Save the water from the cooking process

• Mash with butter until smooth and moldable. Adjust the texture with some of the cooking water.

• Adjust salt to taste.

• Shape into a “nest” using your hands or a bowl as a mold, and place on the serving plate.

2. Cook the pork

• In a hot pan, sear the diced pork with a bit of oil until lightly browned. Don’t cook it through yet.

• Set the pork aside. In the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant.

• Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes.

• Return the pork to the pan and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and coated in sauce.

3. Soft-boil the eggs

• Place the eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water.

• Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer for 4 minutes for a soft yolk.

• Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Peel and cut in half.

4. Assemble the dish

• Spoon the saucy pork into the center of the plantain nest.

• Top with half a soft-boiled egg.

• Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro(coriander) and serve.

🌿 Kuisit Tip

Use very green plantains — the starchier they are, the better the mash will hold shape. For perfect nests, line a small bowl with cling film, press in the mash, and flip it onto a plate. Works like magic! 🪄