Fufu -- I'm told it's like crack

I may think I'm specializing in French-influenced food but life took me on a detour by way of the Middle East and Haiti this weekend. The husband of an acquaintance passed away and his widow wanted a reception menu featuring his fav foods. This was one cosmopolitan dude and his food choices reflected that. Dish number one -- Lamb Mishmisheya, is an Armenian/Turkish dish composed of lamb meatballs spiced with dried lemon powder, clove and allspice, wallowing in a rich sauce of Turkish apricots, raisins and honey. Dish number two was a Haitian/Cuban concoction of ripe, mashed plantain (nope, never used them before!)into which was folded black beans, sauteed onions, garlic and enough bacon to decimate the population of a pigpen the size of a Romney mansion. It's called fufu and yeah, it was good! The chefs could hardly wait to yank it from the buffet table so we could sneak tastes. And more tastes. And more. Addictive -- and it's not even pretty. Tested the recipe and ate it for dinner. And breakfast, wrapped in a corn tortilla. And dinner....  

Black Beans and Fufu

1 lb bacon*, sliced in ¼ “ thick strips
canola oil, as needed
1 28-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 ripe** plantains, cut in 1-inch slices
1 small sweet onion, like a Walla Walla, cut in ½ inch dice
8 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt
lime, cilantro

Saute bacon or bake bacon strips at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes on cookie sheet covered with aluminum-foil lightly oiled with canola oil to prevent sticking. Saute or bake until the strips have rendered their fat and are just starting to crisp and color. Set aside, saving bacon fat, if any. Using saved fat and supplementing with canola oil, saute onions until translucent, about two minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute or so. Set aside. Fill a large pan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the plantains, reduce heat to simmer and cook until they’re soft and the tip of a knife inserted in them comes out easily, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Return bacon, onions and garlic to saute pan and add plantains, mixing and heating over medium heat for a few minutes to warm and blend flavors. Fold in black beans and mix, slightly mashing some of them. Season to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if you wish, and serve with wedges of lime. Makes 7 to 8 cups.
*If you're in the Pacific Northwest, by all means try the bacon from Skagit River Ranch, available at some Seattle-area farmers markets
 **As black as possible. No kidding.  

Lamb Mishmisheya (Meesh Muh SHY ah)

1 onion, chopped
1/4 c canola oil, plus 1 tsp
1-1/2 lbs ground lamb
1 tsp dried, finely ground lemon powder, or omani, available online from Middle Eastern stores)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
3/4 tsp salt pepper
1/4 c tomato paste
8 ounces dried, unsulphered Turkish apricots***, halved
1/4 c raisins or currants
2 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp honey

Soak the apricots in hot water for about half an hour. Drain, saving soaking water.
Saute the onion until translucent and starting to caramelize. Set aside. Mix the lamb with the dried lemon powder, cloves, allspice, salt and pepper, mixing the minimum amount necessary to blend so as not to toughen the meat. Then, using a small scoop with bowl about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, make about 45 meatballs and set aside. Put the meatballs on a cooking sheet lightly oiled with 1 tsp canola oil.
Bake in 400-degree oven for about 25 minutes, or saute meatballs in the pan in which you sauteed the onions, until done. Drain off lamb fat. Add the meatballs to the pan and add onions, tomato paste, apricots, raisins or currants, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper and cover with soaking water and additional water. Simmer about an hour, uncovered. Season to taste. Serves 8

***Available at PCC Natural Markets