Plantain Funnel Cake

STEP 1: MAKE THE STRAWBERRY COULIS

Blend the strawberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice until smooth, then push through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the seeds. If it runs thinner than heavy cream, simmer for 3-4 minutes and cool. Load into a squeeze bottle and refrigerate. It should be thick enough to sit as a dot without bleeding outward on the plate.

STEP 2: WHIP THE CHANTILLY CREAM

Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to soft peaks - the point at which the peak folds over on itself. Stop there; a stiff Chantilly will not quenelle cleanly. Refrigerate until serving.

STEP 3: MAKE THE TOASTED COCONUT-PLANTAIN CREAM

Toast the coconut flakes dry in a skillet over medium heat, moving them constantly, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Set half aside for garnish. Blend the ripe plantain flesh with the coconut cream, powdered sugar, lime juice, salt and the remaining toasted coconut until completely smooth, scraping down twice. Pass it through the sieve if you want it silky enough to pipe through a small tip. Load into a piping bag and chill. Cold, smooth and piped, it gives the plate its coconut note without adding a second fried element.

STEP 4: MIX THE FUNNEL CAKE BATTER

Mash the very ripe plantains until almost smooth, or blend them with the milk for a finer batter. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together in a bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the plantain purée, milk, egg and vanilla extract until even. Pour the wet into the dry and whisk just until smooth - a few lumps are fine, and overworking makes the cake tough. The batter should pour from a funnel in a steady ribbon, roughly the thickness of heavy cream; add milk a tablespoon at a time until it flows freely. Rest for 10 minutes.

STEP 5: FRY THE FUNNEL CAKES

Heat the oil to 360-365°F (182-185°C) in a deep, heavy pan, filled to at least 2 1/2 inches / 6 cm, and keep a thermometer in it. Below about 340°F the batter soaks before it seals, which is what makes a funnel cake greasy. Cover the funnel opening with a finger, fill it with about 2/3 cup of batter, then release over the center of the oil and move in overlapping spirals and figure-eights, working outward to a disc about 6 inches across. Fry one at a time - crowding drops the oil temperature faster than anything else. Cook 60-75 seconds, until the underside is deep gold and the edges are set, then turn with two forks or a spider and give it 45-60 seconds more. Lift onto a wire rack rather than paper towels, which trap moisture against the base and soften it again. Let the oil come back up to temperature between cakes, and dust with powdered sugar after a minute on the rack.

STEP 6: FILL THE FUNNEL CAKE

While the cake is still warm, pipe the coconut-plantain cream into the gaps and channels between the fried coils, working from underneath as well as on top so it is threaded through the lattice rather than sitting on it. Leave the surface visible - the fried lattice is the best part of the plate.

STEP 7: CARAMELIZE THE PLANTAINS

Melt the butter in a wide flameproof skillet over medium heat. Stir in the dark brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and cook until it bubbles into a smooth caramel, about 2 minutes. Lay in the sliced firm-ripe plantains in a single layer and cook 1 1/2-2 minutes a side, spooning caramel over them, until glossy, tender and browning at the edges. Stop here and take the pan off the heat. The rum goes in at the table, not in the kitchen.

STEP 8: FLAMBÉ AT THE TABLE

Set the pan on a heatproof trivet in front of your guests and return it to a portable burner over medium heat until the caramel bubbles again. Take the pan off the flame, pour the dark rum around the edge of the pan - never over an open flame, and never straight from the bottle - then tilt the pan away from you and touch a long lighter to the far edge. It will catch with a low blue flame and burn for 20-40 seconds. Shake the pan gently until the flame dies on its own, or smother it with a lid after 30 seconds. A pinch of cinnamon dropped through the flame throws sparks. Keep the space clear of overhead cabinets and low-hanging lights, tie hair back, roll sleeves up, keep a lid within reach, and close the bottle and move it well clear before you light.

STEP 9: PLATE AND SERVE

Lay the filled funnel cake flat and slightly off-center; do not stack it into a dome. Lean three or four glossy plantain slices against one edge and spoon a little of the rum caramel over them, no more. Place a single quenelle of Chantilly beside it. Dot the coulis in three or four controlled points of graduated size on the clear side of the plate rather than flooding it, and scatter the reserved toasted coconut. Serve immediately, while the cake is warm and the cream is cold.