Mizuzu (ripe plantain fritters)

Preparation

1. 1

   Peel the very ripe plantains (the skin should be blackened in places) and mash them with a fork in a large bowl into a coarse purée.

2. 2

   Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to the purée, mixing with a spoon into a thick, sticky batter with no flour lumps.

3. 3

   Heat a good depth of oil in a deep pan or fryer to 170°C: a bit of batter dropped in should sizzle and rise to the surface immediately.

4. 4

   Scoop heaped spoonfuls of batter and slide them gently into the hot oil, without overcrowding the pan.

5. 5

   Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway, until the fritters are golden and puffed.

6. 6

   Drain them on paper towel.

7. 7

   Serve warm, plain or dusted with a little sugar: the inside should stay soft and banana-scented, the outside crisp.