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Loading...Bole is a beloved street food from Port Harcourt in Nigeria's Niger Delta, where ripe plantains are charred over open flame until smoky and tender, then paired with a fiery red pepper sauce. The combination of caramelized sweet plantain and tongue-tingling scotch bonnet sauce makes an irresistible snack or light meal.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time40 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 320 kcalCalories
- 14 gFat
- 6 gSaturated Fat
- 44 gCarbs
- 4 gFiber
- 18 gSugar
- 8 gProtein
- 520 mgSodium
- 750 mgPotassium
- 40 mgCalcium
- 2 mgIron
- 60 mgVitamin C
- 150 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the Roasted Plantain
- 4 ripe yellow plantains (with small black spots on skin)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Pepper Sauce
- 5–6 scotch bonnet peppers (stemmed, seeded for less heat)
- 2 red bell peppers, cored and roughly chopped
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered
- 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons palm oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground crayfish
- 1 teaspoon dried utazi or uziza leaves (or dried basil)
- 100 g smoked mackerel, deboned and flaked (optional)
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup water
Directions
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat, about 200 °C (400 °F). Score each plantain lengthwise through the skin, rub all over with the oil, and season lightly with salt.
- Place plantains on the grill and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning every 4–5 minutes, until the skin is deeply charred and blistered and the flesh yields when pressed firmly.
- While the plantains roast, combine the scotch bonnets, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and the roughly chopped large onion in a blender; pulse to a coarse, slightly textured purée.
- Heat the palm oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the finely diced onion and minced garlic for 2–3 minutes until softened and fragrant, taking care not to brown them.
- Pour the blended pepper mixture into the pan, add the water, salt, ground crayfish, and dried utazi leaves. Simmer uncovered for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and a layer of red oil pools on the surface.
- Stir in the flaked smoked mackerel (if using) and cook 1–2 minutes more to warm through. Taste and adjust salt or chili heat to preference.
- Remove the plantains from the grill and let them rest for 2 minutes. Peel away the charred skin and slice the soft flesh diagonally into thick pieces.
- Arrange the warm plantain slices on a platter and spoon the hot pepper sauce generously over the top, or serve the sauce on the side for dipping.
Cook’s Notes
- Choose plantains with mostly yellow skin and just a few black speckles for the ideal balance of sweetness and structure; fully black-skinned plantains will yield a softer, jam-like interior.
- For an authentic color and earthy flavor, use traditional red palm oil rather than substituting vegetable oil; it also contributes most of the dish's vitamin A.
- Always wear gloves when handling scotch bonnets and wash your hands and tools thoroughly afterward to avoid transferring capsaicin to eyes or skin.
- The pepper sauce tastes even better after resting for an hour, so you can prepare it ahead and gently reheat while the plantains finish grilling.
- Serve with chilled palm wine, cold beer, or extra grilled fish for a traditional Niger Delta experience.
