Seafood Mofongo

Viva Puerto Rico!  We are just back from an absolutely fabulous trip to this beautiful island paradise.  While staying in the Porta Del Sol region (the north-western side) I had some of the best Mofongo and decided to make a version.  This is a staple food using plantains and can be made to complement a wide variety of meats, seafood, or vegetables.

1/2 C. vegetable oil
1# Mahi-Mahi (Called Dorado on the island)
1# mixed seafood (shrimp, calamari, scallops, octopus)
flour for dredging
1/4# thick cut bacon
3 plantains, peeled and sliced into 1" pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh cilantro,  to taste- chopped
fresh flat leaf parsley, to taste- chopped
1/2 C.+ hot chicken stock or broth
1 lime, juiced
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl combine fish and other seafood, add all but 2 Tbsp of lime juice and coat thoroughly.  Reserve cold.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan.  Once hot, fry bacon until golden brown.  Remove and reserve warm.  Add vegetable oil to pan and heat.  Once hot, fry the plantains in batches until tender and golden brown.  Place cooked plantains on paper towel to drain some of the oil.  Reserve pan with oil to the side.

Move all the cooked plantains to a fresh, large mixing bowl.  Add bacon, remaining lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and parsley.  Mash using the hot stock to form the consistency of thick potatoes.  (Traditionally, the plantains and other ingredients are smashed using a pestel and mortar.)  Season with salt and pepper, reserve warm.

Bring pan with the oil used to fry the bacon and plantains back to the heat.  Drain the fish and seafood, season with salt and pepper and dredge with flour.  Shake well to remove all excess flour and then flash fry, Mahi first in batches in the hot oil.  Once fish is golden in color remove from oil and place on baking dish.  Place in the oven and finish cooking.  Now flash fry the assorted seafood in batches and finish in the hot oven.  Do not overcook the fish, everything should be cooked through but moist.

Serve family style; put the Mofongo on the bottom of a large warm serving bowl and top with the mixture of fish and seafood, top dish with some fresh chopped flat leaf parsley, serve and enjoy!