Jerk Wraps with Fresh Peaches, Fried Plantains, and Ginger Mayo

Every summer it seems we find a new addiction when it comes to fresh peaches. Oddly enough, it's not usually a dessert recipe.  It's usually a sammich.

Two years ago, we fell in love with Thai style fish tacos with red curry coleslaw and peach salsa. 

Last year we discovered the BLP -- which made us so very happy we had a hard time saying goodbye to peach season.

And this summer, I'm afraid it's the Jerk Wrap.

I've been waiting all summer for the blushiest, ripest peaches so that I could pair them with something spicy. Usually, they'd end up in some sort of salsa.  But, not this year.  This year I decided to veer along Caribbean lines. The first thing I did was to fry up a couple of plantains.

I tend to like my plantains on the sweet side. But, for this recipe I opted for fruits in the mid-range of ripeness -- mostly yellow with a few black flecks.  I figured that the semi-ripe fruit would hold up a bit better during the frying process, and the starchier flavor would compete less with the sweetness of the peaches.

In keeping with the Caribbean theme, I decided to fry the plantains in coconut oil.  I use coconut oil frequently for making Thai curries, for frying fish and seafood, and for baking.  I also love the flavor it adds to roasted cauliflower, turnips, and potatoes.

In this particular case, I was trying out a new product. Tropical Traditions had just sent me a sample of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil -- a coconut oil made using the traditional methods (grating the coconut, extracting the milk and allowing the milk stand until the oil separates naturally from the water).

One of the first things I noticed about the TT oil was its clarity -- perfectly clear at above 76º. The oil also smelled rich and nutty.  Since the oil was warm enough to be in its liquid state when I pulled it out of the cupboard, I used a ladle to put about 1/4 cup into my cast iron skillet.

I heated the oil over medium-high heat before adding the plantains, which I had sliced in half and then lengthwise (making them a reasonable shape to put into a wrap.   The plantains fried up beautifully golden brown.  The outside of the fruit was golden and crisp, while the inside was warm and creamy.  And the plantains carried with them just a hint of the nutty coconut flavor.

Once the plantains were fried, I sliced up the peaches while Peef shredded up the jerk chicken.  I also mixed two tablespoons of ginger with about 1/3 cup or so of mayonnaise. I spread the mayo onto a sprouted grain wrap, added a couple of slices of peaches, a length of plantain, about 1/4 cup of shredded chicken, and a few fresh arugula leaves.

One bite and we were both hooked. The peppery arugula provided crunch. And the complex flavors of the jerk chicken -- allspice, habanero, thyme, and garlic -- paired perfectly with the sweetness of the peaches and the liveliness of the ginger mayo.  Meanwhile, the warm crisp plantains provided body and "tooth" to the wrap.  

This recipe would be equally as good made with tofu or pork.  In fact, we're already working on a winter variation of the recipe -- jerk pork with sliced pineapple, watercress, and ginger aioli.

Burp! Jerk Marinade
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