Lerato Umah-Shaylor - Africana: Treasured recipes and stories from across the continent

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I thank God for this great opportunity and for the support of so many wonderful people. Thank you for holding AFRICANA in your hands as you embark on this journey with me. You have made my dreams come true!

To Seni Glaister and Jon Stefani, I am eternally grateful for your encouragement over the years, for believing in me from the very beginning.

Deepest gratitude to my publisher Lisa Milton thank you for believing in me. And the fantastic team at HQ and Harper Collins including Kate Fox, Nancy Adimorah, Nira Begum thank you all for your support and dedication to this dream.

To my agent, Bev James, thank you for inspiring me always to be purposeful and powerful with my message. To Tom Wright, Aoife Rice-Murphy, Emily Prosser and the dynamic team at Bev James Management, thank you all for all that you do.

To the wonderful team who brought AFRICANA to life in spectacular colour and pizazz, Jo Roberts-Miller, Anita Mangan, Esther Clark, Caitlyn Macdonald, Tara Fisher and Tabitha Hawkins, my deepest gratitude to you for such beauty.

To Eva Sonaike, thank you for the most exquisite selection of fabric, and to Afoke Bakpa of Ellelyne for the gorgeous tie dye napkins celebrating African design.

To Mboni Kibelloh, Angela Yankson thank you for gifting me with stories passed down from your mothers and grandmothers. Chef Nti, Vanessa Mehri, Pierre Tham, Tinsae Elsdon, thank you for sharing your stories and passion for Africa with me.

Deepest gratitude to: Joy Baldwin, Maeve Simpson, Marina Del-Gaudio, LisaOladejo, Angela Brooks, Bo Obuks-Ebuehi, April Pearson, Amy Zamarripa Solis, Leslie Leigh, Susan Shyllon, Dupe & AituaEkhaese, Gilli Clare, Nicola Bamford, Dale Blackford, Leila Zadeh, Nicola Bamford, Mark Seifert, Antony and Zena Maturi, Beatriz Nunez, Stuart Aspden, John Paul-Raad, Justin, Natasha Jones, Vanessa Ferreira, Robin Van Creveld, Martin Nathan, Joy Ventour, Andrew McNamara, Sudi Pigott, Jessica Weston, Gordana Glam, Annalynne Cooke, Tosin Oyekole, Julia Jepp, Uchenna Udeh, Chinedu Udeh-Momoh, Ndidi Emefiele, Pauline Thomas, who have all cooked with me, sat at my table and who have all supported Lerato Foods over the years.

To my dear family and friends: Valry and Deborah Shaylor, Frank and Christine Shaylor, Emily Akanimoh, Tonia and Teun Karman, Tenyin Ikpe Etim, Ade Ologunro, Zeze Oriaikhi-Sao, Dumebi Agbakoba, Tosin Mmobuosi, Becky Obozuwa, Louise Akrofi, Paul Corney and Ana Aguilar-Corney, Bella Kuffour and Marian Okogwu, Pauline Cox, Fiona Dunlop, Adam Piper and Jennifer Choi. I appreciate you all.

To Ingrid my mutti, thank you for your unwavering support and love. And to my husband Thurston my rock, thank you for keeping me sane and for making my dreams yours.

I have a great affection for plantain, and gladly I am not alone. Incredibly versatile and wonderful, whether fried, roasted, grilled, boiled or mashed. Within Africana I have shared a variety of recipes for you to enjoy plantains in both traditional and surprising ways as well as essential recipes that will help you master cooking this fruit.

Green and unripe although notoriously difficult to peel and the least sweet form, these are wonderful in curries or stews. They require longer cooking times and are sometimes boiled and pounded into fufu. When cooking the unripe and less sweet green variety, an extra burst of flavour from crushed sea salt is wonderful.

Green plantains are also most commonly used for Plantain Chips (see ). Whether you make your own or buy them, you will find yourself endlessly pining for more.

Yellow and ripe these are much more sweet and malleable than the green, unripe variety. This is my favourite stage of ripeness for frying, baking or roasting. I also like to use just-ripened and firm yellow plantains for curries such as Plantain & Coconut Curry (see ) or plantain chips. As they continue to ripen, dark patches will begin to appear, slowly taking over the yellow.

Black and over-ripe this is the final ripening stage of the fruit. At their peak sweetness and softness, they are perfect for pancakes and fritters, such as the Plantain & Prawn Cakes (see ).

PEELING PLANTAINS

Top and tail the plantain and, using the tip of your knife, cut lightly into the peel lengthways. Use your thumb to pull the peel apart and discard.

SERVES 2

2 ripe yellow plantains, peeled (see ) and sliced into 1cm-thick diagonal strips

Vegetable oil, for frying

1. Heat at least 2cm of oil to 190C degrees in a shallow frying pan. Once hot (see ), carefully place the plantain pieces into the hot oil without overcrowding. Leave to fry for a few minutes and use a turner or slotted spoon to peek at the underside. Once golden brown, swiftly turn over to fry the other side.
2. Remove when golden brown on both sides and drain on kitchen paper before sprinkling with sea salt flakes, if you like, to serve.

SERVES 2

2 unripe green plantains, or very firm just ripened yellow plantains, washed and cut (with the skin) into 5cm chunks

1 tsp fine sea salt

1. Place the plantains in a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Cook over a medium heat for 2530 minutes, until the plantains (not the skin) is softened. If using just ripe or very ripe plantains, the cooking time will be significantly reduced. Use a fork or small knife to poke into the plantain if it releases easily then the plantains are cooked. Drain carefully and leave to cool.
2. To peel, score the skin and pull apart to release the cooked plantain. Discard the skin and serve.

SERVES 2

2 ripe yellow plantains, peeled (see ) and sliced into 1cm oblong shapes

1 tbsp rapeseed, coconut or olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Place the plantains in a bowl, drizzle with the oil and mix well to coat, or use a brush. Arrange the plantains in a single layer on the lined baking tray and bake for 2530 minutes, checking after 15 minutes and turning them over, until softened and golden brown.
3. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt flakes to serve.

Variation

You could also slice the plantains lengthways in half, brush with oil and roast in the oven, grill or cook on the barbecue.