Plátanos en Tentación
Plátanos en Tentación·(plah-tah-nohs ehn ten-tah-syohn)
Un Dulcito (Simple Sweet Endings)
If you grew up in a Cuban household, you know the magic that happens when a plantain is forgotten on the counter until it turns alarmingly, beautifully black. Forget the noisy restaurant versions that drown the pan in dark rum and set it on fire for a cheap thrill. The true grandmother's secret is a slow, quiet bake in butter, dual sugars, and a heavy splash of vino seco—a salted cooking wine that sharply cuts the cloying sweetness of the fruit. This is honest, sticky, deeply comforting food that takes zero effort on a Tuesday night.
Ingredients
- black plantains4 large
- unsalted butter3 tbsp
- white granulated sugar1/3 cup
- dark brown sugar1/3 cup
- vino seco1/4 cup
- cinnamon sticks2 med
- ground cinnamon1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Preheat your oven to 375°F and generously grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with butter.
- 02
Make three to four shallow, diagonal cuts across the top of each peeled plantain.
- 03
Firmly wedge a jagged shard of cinnamon stick directly into each slit.
This is the old-school trick: the ambient heat pulls the bark's essential oils right into the center of the dense fruit as it bakes, flavoring it from the inside out.
- 04
Whisk the white sugar, dark brown sugar, and ground cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- 05
Assemble the dish by sprinkling half the sugar mixture over the plantains, pouring in the vino seco, then scattering the remaining sugar and butter cubes evenly across the top.
- 06
Bake uncovered in the center of the oven for 45 to 60 minutes.
Baste the fruit with its own bubbling juices halfway through. You'll know they're ready when the plantains have turned a deep mahogany brown and the liquid has reduced into a thick, sticky caramel syrup.
- 07
Let cool slightly to tighten the glaze, then serve hot with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Just remember to pull out the whole cinnamon shards before digging in.
Notes
Patience is non-negotiable when it comes to the plantains.
The skins must be entirely black. If there is any yellow remaining, the fruit is still too starchy and won't break down into the necessary custard-like texture. Buy them days in advance and ignore them on the counter.
Replicating authentic vino seco.
Vino seco is a heavily salted Cuban cooking wine that balances the intense sugars in this dish. If you can't find it at your local market, substitute exactly 1/4 cup of standard dry sherry mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt to nail that crucial savory backbone.
From Cook Cuban in America.