Green fig salad

Ingredients

Green fig

• 8green bananas
• water, for boiling
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• a little oil, for your hands

Dressing

• 1onion, very finely sliced
• 4spring onions, sliced
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 1sweet pepper, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoonsvinegar
• 4 tablespoonsoil
• juice of 2 limes
• a handful of parsley, chopped
• a few thyme leaves
• 1chilli, finely chopped
• salt and black pepper

Sometimes added

• 1carrot, grated
• 1tomato, chopped
• 2 tablespoonsmayonnaise
• flaked saltfish

Directions

1. Cut the ends off with a knife. Score the skin lengthways in three places. Cut through the skin but not the flesh. Rub your hands with oil first if you can.
2. Put the peeled bananas in a pot. Cover them with cold salted water. Bring the whole pot up to a boil. Let them simmer for about twenty minutes. Judging when they are done matters.
3. Start checking after fifteen minutes. That keeps them noticeably firmer. Slice the onion as finely as you can. Put it in a bowl with the vinegar.
4. Let it sit for a good ten minutes. Finishing the dressing takes a moment. Add the spring onion and garlic. Add the chopped pepper and chilli.
5. Add the oil and the lime juice. Add the parsley and the thyme. Season it with salt and black pepper. Whisk the whole lot well together. Drain the boiled bananas thoroughly. Cut them into thick rounds while hot.
6. Work fast, since they cool quickly. Put them all into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over them at once. Toss it through them very gently. Do not stir hard or they break up. Cover it over and refrigerate it. Give it at least one full hour. Taste it again after chilling.
7. Add more salt, lime or vinegar then. It should be sharp and clearly seasoned. Spoon it into a large serving bowl. Scatter extra parsley over the top. It keeps two days refrigerated.

Technique

• Fig in Caribbean English means banana, so green fig is green unripe banana and has nothing to do with the fruit called fig elsewhere; green fig and saltfish is Saint Lucia’s national dish and this salad uses the same boiled green fig cold.
• The dressing goes on while the fig is still hot, since hot starch absorbs it far better while cold banana simply sits in it, and that timing is the whole trick of the dish.
• Green banana sap stains hands for days and stains clothes permanently, so oil your hands or peel under running water.

Substitutions

• Green plantain stands in for green banana, though it is firmer.
• Boiling them in the skin keeps them firmer and the skin then slips off easily.

Variations

• Some cooks add a spoonful of mayonnaise for a creamier salad.
• Flaked saltfish turns it into a fuller dish.
• Green fig and saltfish is the hot version of the same ingredient.

History

Uses the same green fig that anchors the national dish, dressed as a cold salad for Sunday tables.

Frequently asked questions

What is Green fig salad?

Green fig salad is a salad & side from Saint Lucia: boiled green bananas dressed cold with onion, herbs and vinegar. Uses the same green fig that anchors the national dish, dressed as a cold salad for Sunday tables.

How long does Green fig salad take to make?

Green fig salad takes 30 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Green fig salad?

Yes, within limits. Green plantain stands in for green banana, though it is firmer. Boiling them in the skin keeps them firmer and the skin then slips off easily.

What is the most important thing to get right in Green fig salad?

Put the peeled bananas in a pot. Cover them with cold salted water. Bring the whole pot up to a boil. Let them simmer for about twenty minutes. Judging when they are done matters.