Plantain and feta hand pies with tomato salsa
Maria Bradford serves her plantain and feta hand pies as both a bar snack and a starter in her Sierra Leonean restaurant Shwen Shwen in Sevenoaks. A real crowdpleaser – they’re filled with plantain, feta and golden onions, and deep-fried until crispy. Served with a chunky scotch bonnet salsa made from oven-dried tomatoes.
Maria says, “Hand pies are a popular Sierra Leonean party food. Sweet plantain with the salty feta and the salsa with its chilli kick is perfect for a summer party in the garden.”
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
OVEN-DRIED TOMATO SALSA
- 10 plum tomatoes, large, halved lengthways, core and seeds removed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 6 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/4 tsp Scotch bonnet chillies, finely chopped
- 25g of coriander, finely chopped
HAND PIES
- 4 plantains, yellow
- 30g of unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 400g of feta
- 150g of plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 1 tsp salt
- sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Equipment
- Tortilla press or rolling pin
- Deep fat fryer
Method
For the oven-dried tomato salsa, preheat the oven to 140°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and arrange the tomatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle with the salt, a few twists of black pepper, the oregano and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cook until the tomatoes are shrivelled round the edges but still plump in the middle – about 1 hour – then remove
- 10 plum tomatoes, large, halved lengthways, core and seeds removed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
For the pies, melt the butter in a pan with a lid over a gentle heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and golden brown – this could take up to an hour so it’s good to get it on early. Once done, transfer to a mixing bowl and leave to cool
- 30g of unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
For the salsa, heat the remaining oil in a pan with a lid, add the onion, cover and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes until softened
- 4 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
Add the garlic and scotch bonnet and cook for another 2 minutes. Finely chop the tomatoes (or pulse in a food processor) and add to the pan. Stir to combine – you should have a chunky salsa which is firm enough to hold its shape. Store in the fridge until needed
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/4 tsp Scotch bonnet chillies, finely chopped
For the pies, preheat the oven to 180°C. Wash the plantains, put on a baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes until soft, then remove to cool slightly
- 4 plantains, yellow
When the onions are completely cold, crumble in the feta cheese, mix together and set aside
- 400g of feta
When the plantains are cool enough, remove the skins. Put the flesh into a food processor and pulse to a chunky consistency. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the flour and salt and mix to form a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour
- 150g of plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 1 tsp salt
Once chilled, divide the dough into 10 portions. Using a rolling pin on a flour-dusted surface (or a tortilla press), flatten each dough portion to 15 cm in diameter
Fill each disc with 2 tablespoons of the feta mixture and use your fingers to seal the edges of the pie. Repeat with all the discs and filling
To serve, heat the oil in a wok or deep pan over a medium-high heat, or preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180°C. Working in small batches, fry the pies until golden. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Leave to cool slightly
- sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Warm the salsa, add the coriander and mix to combine. Quenelle onto plates
- 25g of coriander, finely chopped
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