Some recipes are carefully planned. This wasn’t one of them.
I came up with this dish during the final weeks of my pregnancy with my oldest daughter. For reasons I still can’t explain, it was one of the few things that sounded good, and I made it on repeat while I waited for her arrival.
Over the years, I haven’t made it often. In fact, I’m the only one in my house who really loves malanga. My mom does too, but these days it’s usually just the two of us who appreciate it. Still, every time I make it, I’m reminded of those quiet weeks of waiting before my daughter was born. Some recipes have a way of preserving memories as much as flavors, and this is one of them.
If you’ve never cooked with malanga before, you’re in for a treat. Malanga is a starchy root vegetable that’s beloved throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and parts of Asia. It has a mild, earthy flavor and blends into an incredibly smooth, velvety purée. If you’re curious about how malanga relates to taro and why the names are sometimes used interchangeably, be sure to check out my Taro Ice Cream recipe, where I dive a little deeper into this unique root vegetable.
What I love most about this dish is its simplicity. Silky cream of malanga is topped with tender slices of chicken, mellow garlic, and warm garlic-infused olive oil. The garlic is first simmered with the chicken to gently infuse it with garlic flavor while softening its bite before the chicken and garlic are gently finished together in olive oil, creating a simple confit-style finish. That fragrant oil isn’t just for cooking—it’s spooned generously over the finished dish, where it mingles with the silky malanga. The contrast between the fruity olive oil and the velvety purée is what makes every bite so memorable. The recipe makes about four to five generous bowls, making it perfect for a cozy family dinner.
Ingredients
Cream of Malanga
2 pounds malanga, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup heavy cream
½–1 cup whole milk, plus more as needed
Salt, to taste
Chicken & Garlic
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
About ⅓ cup whole peeled garlic cloves
4 cups water
Salt, to taste
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
Prepare the Cream of Malanga
Place the peeled and chopped malanga in a large pot and cover with generously salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until the malanga is fork-tender.
Drain well and transfer the malanga to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the butter, heavy cream, and ½ cup of the whole milk. Blend until completely smooth. Add additional milk, a little at a time, until the purée reaches a silky, spoonable consistency. Season with salt to taste and keep warm.
Prepare the Chicken & Garlic
Place the chicken breasts and garlic cloves in a saucepan. Cover with the water and season generously with salt. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until the chicken is just cooked through and the garlic has softened, about 10–12 minutes.
Remove the chicken and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it into thin strips. Drain the garlic and rinse it briefly under cold water to stop the cooking.
Boiling the garlic with the chicken serves two purposes: it gently infuses the chicken with garlic flavor while mellowing the garlic, creating a sweeter, more delicate flavor in the finished dish.
Finish the Chicken & Garlic Confit
Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced chicken and softened garlic cloves. Cook gently, turning the chicken occasionally, until the edges are lightly golden and the garlic becomes buttery-soft with light caramelization. The olive oil should never aggressively fry the garlic; instead, it slowly infuses with the flavors of both the chicken and garlic, creating a simple confit-style finish.
To Serve
Spread the warm cream of malanga onto one side of a wide, shallow bowl, creating a soft swoop with the back of a spoon.
Arrange the sliced chicken alongside the purée and nestle the caramelized garlic cloves throughout.
Generously spoon the warm garlic-infused olive oil over the chicken, allowing it to mingle with the silky malanga.
Finish with flaky sea salt and serve immediately.
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