Too Traditional

What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple? Oh, I’m sure you know the answer. That joke’s older than I am. You don’t know the answer? What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple is finding half a worm in your apple. Gross? Oh, lighten up. A healthy sense of humor never hurt anyone. There’s something coming up that will so, so negate the grossness of that old joke.

What’s better than finding a very ripe and sweet saba banana inside a hot and crisp turon (banana spring roll)? Finding a very ripe and sweet saba banana covered in brown sugar? Too ordinary. How about strips of langka (jackfruit)? Too traditional. In this blog, there are many things that you will find with the saba banana inside the humble turon, all of which are totally unexpected. There’s cheese, cheese and bacon, and chunky peanut butter.

Let me know to add another to the list. Chocolate. And not just any chocolate. I’m talking about M&M’s which kids and adults alike find irresistible. Add a small handful of M&M’s to the banana filling and, after frying, you see bright specks of color peeping through the semi-transparent spring roll wrappers. And when you bite into the turn, some of the melted chocolate oozes out and it’s wickedly delicious. Speedy’s idea. He did the cooking too. He’s a genius!

Kids will love them. So pretty and playful, and it’s so much fun anticipating what colors will show up with each bite.

Sweet chocolate

But won’t sweet and ripe bananas plus sweet chocolate be too cloying? I suggest a sprinkle of salt. Did you know that salt makes the chocolates of the chocolate really pop? You should try it, really. An amazing little trick. This is actually the second time that Speedy made turon with chocolate. The first time, he used chocolate bars with nuts.

I would have posted the recipe then but the photos didn’t turn out so well. But soft and sweet bananas plus chocolate with nuts? Absolute winner. If you’re making turon with chocolate, you can choose between M&M’s (pretty colors) and chocolate bars with nuts in them (wonderful crunch). In fact, you can even use chocolate bars with rice krispies or caramel. Anything goes.

Recipe: Banana

Ingredients
12 spring roll wrappers, separated
6 very ripe saba bananas, each cut vertically into halves
6 tbsps. (or more) of M&Ms
kosher salt (rock salt is okay)
about 2 c. of oil for frying.

Instructions

Lay a spring roll wrapper flat on your work surface. Place a banana half near the center. Spread a tablespoonful (or more) of M&M’s on top of the bananas. Sprinkle with a little salt. Roll and seal (see step-by-step visual guide for wrapping spring rolls). Repeat for the rest of the ingredients.

Heat the cooking oil until wisps of smoke start to appear. Your oil must be really hot. Otherwise, the frying time will take too long and the chocolate will ooze out of the porous wrapper. Fry the spring rolls, three to four pieces at a time, rolling them in hot oil until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.