Basic Ripe Plantain, Four Ways

Ripened from yellow-brown to black-skinned, plantain comes into its own: Fruity, lush-textured, semisweet, it is more versatile and subtle than sweetpotato.

If you’ve never cooked plantain before, just boil it. It’s a revelation: rich, soft, honeyed, and sunny gold, a remarkable treat in 10 minutes. Microwaved, it is similar, but a bit more stolid, less puffed and creamy. Pan-fried, it is buttery, brown-gold, and dessert-like. Baked, it is tender, but not as rich as when cooked the other ways, making it a fine foil for sauces. However you cook it, figure on about 1 pound for 2 people.