Tortang Puso ng Saging

Method

1. Peel away tough dark outer bracts until the pale tender heart is reached. From any florets you keep, remove the hard matchstick-like stamen and tough translucent scale. Slice the tender heart finely and immediately put it in the vinegar holding water to limit browning.
2. Drain and boil the cleaned sliced blossom in the fresh boiling water with its salt for about 15–20 minutes, until tender. Taste a cooled piece for fibrousness; discard tough parts rather than hoping eggs will soften them. Drain and cool enough to handle.
3. Squeeze the cooked blossom firmly in a clean cloth or by handfuls to remove excess water, then weigh about 250 g. Chop any long fibres. Yield varies with the blossom, so the cooked squeezed weight controls this recipe, not the size of the whole flower.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and soften onion for 3 minutes, then add garlic for 30 seconds. Add the squeezed blossom and cook for 2 minutes to remove remaining surface moisture. Transfer to a bowl and cool until no longer steaming.
5. Beat eggs with fish sauce or the stated salt alternative, flour and pepper. Mix into the cooled blossom. The mixture should hold together in a spoon while showing the vegetable, not look like thin soup. Cook one small test patty before the full batch.
6. Heat a little of the remaining oil over medium-low heat. Spoon eight small patties in batches, each about 9 cm wide and 1 cm thick. Cook 2–3 minutes per side until golden and the egg centre is fully set, reaching 71°C. Turn with a wide spatula only after the underside sets.
7. Serve with rice and vinegar or tomato on the side. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 2 days, reheating to 74°C. Do not store the raw egg-and-blossom mixture for a prolonged period after preparing it.