Scrapple Mofongo Bites

Ingredients

scrapple

5 plantains

1/2 cup minced garlic

2 cups vegetable oil

1/4 cup parsley

1 cup chopped onion

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup chicken broth

salt

1 cup cheese blend

8 ripe passion fruits

water

sugar

ketchup

mayonaise

evaporated milk

cheese of choice

Instructions:

Prepare the plantains: start by peeling the plantains and cutting them into 1 inch slices, then soak them in salt water so they don't get brown (an easy way to peel the plantains is to cut off the ends, make a shallow slit along the skin and use your finger or a spoon to pull the skin off, soaking them in hot water also helps loosen the skin up).

Cook the Scrapple: in a pan, cook the scrapple and crumble it.  Once cooked, set it aside and keep warm.

Fry the Plantains: if soaked in water, make sure to dry them with a paper towel.  Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.  Once oil is hot, add plantains and fry them until golden brown.  When they are tender to a fork, remove them from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain.

Make the mash: in a morter and pestle or large bowl with a masher, add butter, garlic, onion and salt.  Mash them until garlic and onion are broken down and mixed. Set a portion of this mixture aside.  To the rest, add in fried plantains and a little bit of the broth.  Continue mashing until the mixture is well combined and holding together.  This is for the scrapple mofongo balls.

Form your Mofongo Bites: for the scrapple mofongo baskets you are going to use a lemon squeezer.  Place one of your plantains and a little of the garlic mixture.  Smash it together and you will have a little basket.  (Tip: spray the lemon squeezer with oil so the plantain does not stick.)  Carefully fry the basket until golden brown.  Once done, fill it with scrapple, add cheese and drizzle with your favorite sauce.

For the scrapple mofongo balls: Take about 1 tablespoon of the mashed mixture and make it a layer on your palm. (Tip: put oil in your hand to help them form easier.).  Add a teaspoon of the scrapple in the middle then form the ball around it.  Fry them until crispy and golden on the outside.  Enjoy with a favorite dipping sauce.

Sauces:

Mayoketchup:  Mix mayonaise and ketchup together until combined.

Cheese Sauce:  In a pan, add butter, garlic and onion.  Once garlic is golden, add evaporated milk, mix and cheese on low heat making sure it does not stick to the pan.  When done, add parsley.

Passionfruit Juice: scoop out the pulp of 6-8 ripe passionfruits and blend it with 3-4 cups of water and a 1/4 cup of sugar or other sweetener.  Pulse briefly to loosen the juice then strain to remove the seeds.  Serve over or blended with ice.