Aborrajados vallunos — Colombian ripe plantain and cheese fritters
Aborrajados are associated with Valle del Cauca, where ripe plantain and cheese are brought together in a fried, batter-coated snack. The contrast is part of the appeal: the plantain becomes soft and sweet, the cheese turns warm and savoury, and the outside browns into a crisp shell. They can be served as a snack, an appetizer or alongside a meal; in some households they also appear as a sweet-savoury treat.
There is more than one way to shape them. Some recipes sandwich cheese between two fried plantain slices; this version flattens the fried pieces while warm, pairs them around cheese, coats them in batter and fries them again. Different recipes use queso campesino, queso blanco or a cheese that melts more readily. Some add a strip of bocadillo de guayaba, the firm guava paste made in Colombia. Here, bocadillo stays optional so the base recipe keeps its balance of ripe fruit and cheese.
Choose plantains with very dark, mostly black skins and soft flesh beneath. Their sweetness and pliability make it easier to press the pieces into broad parcels. Let the first fry soften them without making the edges brittle, and flatten them while still warm. The plantain should bend and hold together; if it splits, use a small piece from another plantain to patch the gap before adding cheese.
Queso campesino gives this version a mild, fresh dairy flavour. Grate or crumble it finely so each parcel closes without a bulky centre. A little cheese may escape during frying, so press the plantain edges together and coat the seams. Keep the batter thick enough to cling: it should cover the parcel in a thin layer rather than run off like milk. If it seems loose, whisk in a small spoonful of flour from the measured amount reserved for the batter.
