Dodo Hash: The perfect addition to your holiday spread

Fried plantain, or ‘dodo’ as it is affectionately called in Nigeria, is an example of a side dish that is potentially more loved than any main dish can ever be. With its flavour combination of sweet and savoury, and its moreish texture, there is nothing quite like the plantain. As we saw on social media, even the Obamas had a plantain side dish at their Thanksgiving table this year! Not quite dodo in the White House, but very close.

Much loved across Africa and South America, plantains (or plantanos) are versatile and can be enjoyed boiled, grilled, steamed, baked or fried. I’ve created this recipe with what I feel all good holiday recipes need – comfort, simplicity, bang for the buck, and flexibility. Everyone loves plantain, so you’re winning from the start.

The ingredient list isn’t too taxing or expensive to assemble, and you can make clever swaps without being anxious about how it will turn out. For example, a suya or yaaji spice blend goes wonderfully with this, but so does a mixed Italian or Cajun blend. You can literally fine tune this to your audience.

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Another aspect of the flexibility of this dish is it can be enjoyed at any time. Serve it in pride of place beside your beautiful turkey on Christmas Day, or whip it up quickly as a brunch dish to go with eggs the next morning. If you have lots of leftover turkey, you can swap the sausages in the recipe out for chunks of turkey. A few slivers of bacon won’t go amiss either. The choice is yours and the possibilities are endless.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the humble but mighty Dodo Hash.