SUMAC HOT HONEY AND ZA'ATAR PLANTAINS, WHITE BEAN DIP

Serves 4-5 

Ingredients:

For the dip:

• 2 400g (240g drained weight) tins of cannellini beans, drained
• 5 tbsp pure Greek yoghurt (I use 10% fat for this)
• 3 cloves of garlic 
• 1 tsp rock salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• Juice of half a small-medium lemon

For the plantains:

• 3 ripe to very ripe plantains (should be soft to the touch and have black patches)
• 120 ml of pure honey
• 2-3 tsp chilli flakes (depending on your preferred spice level)
• 1/2 tsp sumac
• 1/2 scotch bonnet
• 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1-2 tsp za'atar
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Fresh parsley/coriander and a pinch dried oregano to garnish (optional)

1. In a blender/food processor, blend together the dip ingredients until smooth and creamy. Keep aside.
2. In a small pot/saucepan, heat together the honey, sumac, chilli flakes, scotch bonnet and red wine vinegar over medium heat.
3. After bringing to a gentle simmer, keep on the lowest heat.
4. Peel and slice the plantain into even diagonal slices about 1cm thick.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, until hot enough for a slice of plantain to start fizzing at the edges immediately. The precise amount of oil will depend on the size of your pan, but you want enough oil to cover the base of your pan and to come up to about halfway up the sides of the plantain. See tips for where to find a visual aid.
6. Fry the plantain slices over a medium to high heat, turning the slices so they become golden brown on both sides. The plantains will take around 5-8 minutes to cook (a few minutes on each side). Once they start turning golden brown, lower the heat slightly to avoid burning.
7. Once cooked remove the fried plantain slices from with pan with a slotted spatula and transfer them to a plate (lined with kitchen roll to absorb any excess oil).
8. Remove the kitchen roll, sprinkle the za'atar over the fried plantains and drizzle the hot honey mixture on top.
9. Use a spoon to mix together the plantains, to evenly coat them in the spices and honey. Keep aside.
10. Scoop the white bean dip onto the serving plate, forming a circle. Press down gently into the centre of the circle with the back of the spoon whilst gently spinning the plate, to create a little bit of a well. See tips.
11. Place the plantains in the centre of the dip, drizzle with any remaining hot honey, garnish and enjoy!

• See reels on toyotastes (IG) for visual aids, especially for frying the plantain if you are unfamiliar with this.
• If you're less familiar with plantain and are not 100% sure if its cooked on the inside, break open one slice. If for any reason any of your plantain is undercooked on the inside (a little pink/the flesh looks more like when you first peeled it), put it in the microwave for a few minutes, this will cook the plantain from the inside without changing the golden brown exterior/burning the outside. 
• Fried plantain does harden over time, so this is best enjoyed soon after serving. 
• If you are serving later on, store the dip and plantains in seperate containers. This way you can reheat the plantains, and then assemble the dish.