Caribbean Meat Pie

Here is an interesting kosher for Passover recipe, adapted from one which Joan Nathan adapted from Nancy Tuchman Joseph. I originally saw it in the New York Times in April, 2003.

Ingredients:

• 6 large ripe plantains
• olive oil for frying
• 2 large onions
• 1 sweet green pepper
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup sliced, pitted green olives
• 1/4 cup dark raisins
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 3/4 cup red wine
• salt, hot pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 large eggs.

Yield: 15 servings

Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel plantains, slice into 4-5 slices, lengthwise. Heat 1/4 inch oil, and fry as many slices as can fit in pan at once. Fry until golden, drain well on paper towels. Repeat with remaining slices.

Chop onions and green pepper into 1/2 inch pieces. Saute vegetables until tender in a bit of oil. Add garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until meat loses its red color, breaking it up and mashing with a potato masher so mixture is as fine as possible.

Reduce heat to low and add olives, raisins, tomato puree, wine,and salt, hot pepper flakes, and pepper to taste. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Beat eggs in a small bowl.

Assemble pie in a 9 by 13 foil pan by arranging a layer of plantain slices, meat mixture, and remaining plantain. Slices should touch each other but not overlap. Pour beaten eggs on top, and spread over plaintains. Bake 30-40 minutes until top is golden brown.