My restaurant, Miss Ollie’s Oakland, has become a staple in the area for many reasons. But the reason that resonates with me the most is that it is a safe space for young, brown, queer folks to hang out with their friends, loved ones, and other members of the LGBTQ+ community. Sharing a bowl of sweet plantain chips is a simple way of bringing people together, helping them to connect and bond. This recipe pairs the chips with homemade hot sauce and a cooling lime sour cream, but each is delicious all by itself. Sometimes it’s the little things that let us know we are loved, like enjoying warm plantain chips with friends.

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　

Mango Hot Sauce:

2 tablespoons sunflower oil or other neutral oil

　　4 medium shallots, finely chopped

　　3 Scotch Bonnet chiles, or to taste, cored, seeded, and finely chopped (see Note)

　　3 garlic cloves, chopped

　　1 (¼-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　¼ cup chopped fresh mango

　　¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

　　¼ cup sugarcane vinegar or apple cider vinegar

　　¼ cup orange juice

　　

Lime Sour Cream:

1 cup sour cream

　　½ teaspoon lime zest

　　1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

　　1 teaspoon sea salt

　　

Plantains:

Vegetable oil, for frying

　　6 green plantains

　　Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Make the mango hot sauce: Heat the oil in a medium pan over lowheat. Add the shallots, chiles, garlic, turmeric, and mango and sautéfor 5 to 7 minutes, until the aromatics start to soften. Add the salt,vinegar, and ½ cup water. Stir to combine, then cover and simmer untilthe aromatics are completely softened and the liquid thickens slightly,about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in theorange juice and season with more salt to taste. Transfer the hot sauceto a resealable glass jar and refrigerate until ready to use. (The hotsauce will keep for up to 2 weeks.)

　　

Step 3

Make the lime sour cream: In a medium bowl, stir together the sourcream, lime zest and juice, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

　　

Step 4

Make the plantains: Fill a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed potabout two-thirds of the way with vegetable oil. Heat over medium heatuntil the oil reaches 375°F.

　　

Step 5

With a very sharp knife, peel the plantains, then slice lengthwise about⅛ inch thick. Working in batches, fry the plantains in the hot oil, flippingoccasionally, until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Usinga slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Seasonwith salt and pepper.

　　

Step 6

Serve the fried plantains with the mango hot sauce and lime sourcream for dipping.

　　Note

　　Scotch Bonnet chiles are

　　packed with heat. If you are sensitive

　　to spice, use a small amount at first

　　and add more as desired

　　Reprinted with permission from Tasty Pride: 75 Recipes and Stories from the Queer Food Community by Jesse Szewczyk and BuzzFeed's Tasty, copyright © 2020. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Buy the full book from Amazon.