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Canoas (Stuffed Sweet Plantain Boats)

Sweet ripe plantains baked in their skins, split open and stuffed with beef picadillo and melted cheese.

By Wanda Oyola 1 h 5 min Easy

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Recipe in testing: I'm cooking it in my TM7™ and will update the steps and the photo with my own.

Ripe plantain boats in their skins on a baking tray, stuffed with beef picadillo and diced peppers and topped with melted cheese.

Canoas, or canoes, are ripe plantains split down the middle and filled with savory ground beef picadillo and melted cheese. Sweet, soft plantain with salty, saucy beef is a classic Puerto Rican pairing, the same one that makes pastelón so loved, here in a fun boat shape that each person gets whole.

Traditionally the plantains are fried first; this version bakes them in their skins in the oven, which is easier and less messy. While they bake, the Thermomix® TM7™ cooks the picadillo with sofrito and bell peppers. Fill the boats, add the cheese and return them to the oven until it bubbles.

Made in the Thermomix® TM7™

Canoas (Stuffed Sweet Plantain Boats)

Makes: 4 canoas

  • Prep15 min
  • Cook50 min
  • Total1 h 5 min
  • Serves4

Ingredients

For the plantains

For the picadillo

To finish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the ends off the plantains and make one lengthwise cut through the skin along the inner curve of each one, without peeling them. Brush the cuts with the oil, place the plantains on the sheet cut side up and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the skins darken and the flesh is very soft.
  2. While they bake, place the bell peppers in the mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 5. Add the olive oil and sofrito and sauté 5 min/120°C (250°F)/speed 1.
  3. Add the ground beef in small pieces. Place the simmering basket on the mixing bowl lid instead of the measuring cup and sauté 8 min/120°C (250°F)/reverse/speed 1. Break up any large lumps with the spatula.
  4. Add the tomato sauce, sazón, oregano, salt and pepper and, with the simmering basket still on the lid, cook 12 min/100°C (212°F)/reverse/speed soft, until thick.
  5. Carefully open each baked plantain along the cut, going deeper with a knife through the flesh but not through the bottom skin, and press the flesh to the sides with a spoon to make a boat.
  6. Fill each canoa with picadillo, mounding it a little, and top with the cheese.
  7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese melts and bubbles. Serve hot, in the skin.

Tips

  • The traditional way: peel the plantains and fry them whole in 1 cm (1/2 in) of oil at 175°C (350°F), turning them, for about 8 minutes, until golden. Then split them, fill them and bake as in step 7.
  • The riper the plantain, the sweeter the canoa. Look for skins that are more black than yellow.
  • Extra picadillo freezes well for up to 3 months. Use it for rellenos de papa, empanadillas or pastelón.

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