I admit I do not eat enough greens. My mother and I are both on blood thinners, hers more aggressive than mine, so much so that her doctor has forbidden her from consuming green, leafy vegetables. Coupled with my father’s aversion to all but a few kinds of seafood, it limits my marketing choices considerably.
Banana heart is actually the flower of the banana plant. It is technically not a vegetable, except when prepared as one. Like bamboo shoot, it has more texture than taste, which is why it is often paired with coconut cream, as in the salad here.
First you remove the coarse outer layers to get to the core; you will know when to stop peeling when it is more cream-colored than red, and smooth; otherwise you might peel all the way down to the pith. Then it is boiled (or steamed) until fork-tender, at which point it is removed from the pot and allowed to cool completely. The process so far takes the better part of an hour, so if you plan to make this dish, take that into account.
I didn’t have the luxury of waiting. It had taken long enough to find banana heart at the market this morning, so when that thing came out of the pot, I proceeded to cut off/dispose of the stem, slice, and pack into a cheesecloth to squeeze out the water, scalding myself. Huwag tularan.
Anyway, it’s pretty rote from there on. Prepare your herbs/spices: tomato (slice and deseed), onion (slice), ginger (mince), spring onion (slice) — use as much as you want. Combine pure coconut cream with some vinegar, salt, and a bit of sugar; add hon-dashi and/or ginamos brine (unâ) for umami (highly recommended, but if all you have is MSG or ginisa mix, go right ahead). Mix everything gently but thoroughly, leave to steep for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to come together (longer is okay as it will not affect the texture of the ubod), then serve. Did I mention I had the salad with fatty pork adobo? My heart skips a beat.
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