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sprinkle it with 2 teaspoons olive oil, and close the foil around the garlic. Bake the garlic at 425° for about 45 to 60 minutes, until the garlic is soft when pierced with a knife. Remove the garlic from the oven, and let it cool.
    Using your fingers, squeeze the soft garlic pulp into a small jar. Cover the jar, and refrigerate the purée until you're ready to use it.
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Plantains with Caviar
    The slightly sweet plantains and salty caviar make a great combination in this elegant cross-cultural first course. Ripe plantains are dark yellow with black spots. To peel them, cut off their ends and score the skin lengthwise in several places.
    Â 
½
cup dried, black beans
1
small onion
1
garlic clove, peeled
1
teaspoon salt
3
cups cold water
3
ripe plantains, peeled and cut into ½-inch diagonal slices
2
cups peanut or other vegetable oil
1
cup sour cream
6
ounces red caviar
6
ounces black caviar
1
red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
    Put the beans into a saucepan with the onion, garlic, salt, and water. Cover the pan, and bring the beans to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer the beans, covered for about 2½ hours, or until they are tender but not mushy. Remove the onion and garlic, and drain the beans well. Mash them with a fork.
    Soak the plantain slices in salted water for 30 minutes. Drain the slices, and pat them dry with paper towels.
    Heat the oil in a deep skillet. When the oil has reached 375°, add the slices of plantain. Fry them until they are golden, then drain them on paper towels. Press them with the back of a spoon until they are ¼ inch thick. Fry them again for 30 seconds, and drain them well on paper towels.
    Place a row of hot plantain slicesdown the center of a plate, and lay stripes of the beans, sour cream, and two caviars on either side of them. Arrange red onion rings over the top, and serve.
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    Makes 6 servings

Lobster Cornucopia with Banana Chutney
    This vivid first course was created by one of our former chefs, Jeff Oakley, who used a variety of island ingredients to create a sizzling symphony of flavors.
    The spiny lobsters found in the Caribbean have no claws, but the tail meat is lean, white, and firm-textured. For this recipe, frozen spiny-lobster tails, which are readily available in most supermarkets, work very well. Be sure to select solidly frozen packages that are stacked well below the freezer's frost line.
    If you are using a live lobster, sever the spine by inserting a sharp pointed blade at the joint where the body and tail section join. Split the shell lengthwise from the head to the tail. Remove and discard the black intestinal vein and sac located near the back of the head.

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Banana Chutney
1
red bell pepper, diced small
1
yellow bell pepper, diced small
1
medium onion, diced
1
tablespoon chopped garlic
2
apples, diced
¾
cup apple cider vinegar
1
teaspoon salt
1½
cups light brown sugar
½
teaspoon ground cloves
½
teaspoon ground ginger
½
teaspoon ground cinnamon
Chopped parsley, basil, or cilantro to taste
4
ripe bananas, diced
Red Pepper–Mango Sauce
2
red bell peppers or 3 pimientos
3
tablespoons minced onions
1
cup dry white wine
½
cup water
2
cups heavy cream
1
large mango, peeled and cubed
1
tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
 
 
6
flour tortillas
1½
cups uncooked shelled lobster
Caribbean seasoning (see [>] ) taste
2
tablespoons fresh lime juice
2
tablespoons dry white wine
2
tablespoons cold butter, cut into bits
    To make the banana chutney, sauté the peppers, onion, and garlic in a skillet. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the herbs and bananas. Cook the mixture over low heat until it thickens, approximately 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and fold in the herbs and diced bananas. Let the chutney cool to room temperature.
    Make the red pepper–mango sauce. If you are using fresh peppers, turn them over a low flame, using a long fork, until their skins are charred black. Put