Wednesday, February 15, 2012

No, It's Not a Banana

Plantains are a staple across Latin America and the Caribbean. I never thought much about plantains, but on two recent trips - one to Key West and one to Costa Rica - I not only encountered fried plantains but devoured them!

A plantain is a green fruit resembling a banana, although they are usually wider than a banana and have a lower sugar content. They're seen as a staple in many developing countries, as the plants produce fruit year round. That, and they're pretty darn tasty when you fry them!

In Costa Rica, I was at a loss being surrounded by Spanish. No communicando. Finally, I became comfortable exchanging pleasantries - "Hola," "Gracias," and the like. My shining moment came when I was brave enough to order breakfast at McDonald's. (I know...I went to McDonald's in Costa Rica. Don't judge. I needed American comfort food.) "Hola. Uno McPinto Deluxe and uno agua, por favor." Proud, I smiled. The cashier quickly responded with 6 sentences of rapid-fire Spanish. Dear god, I just wanted beans and a water, ok?! My quivering "Habla English?" persuaded an English-speaking store manager to come to my rescue. Following, I was presented with the platter pictured below!



Traditional American breakfast (sausage and scrambled eggs)
meets traditional Cuban breakfast (corn tortillas, beans & rice
and fried plantains)...at McDonald's! 

When it comes to cooking plantains, there's really not much to this recipe. All you need is plantains and frying oil, but I have a special tip for both.


PICKING THE PLANTAIN
Plantains can be eaten at any stage of their ripeness, but each color has a different flavor. Green (the freshest and least ripe) means the plantain will have a starchy, rich flavor. Yellow plantains are sweeter while dark brown plantains (the ripest) are very sweet. Pick a plantain of your choice, but don't get one that's too ripe, as it might fall apart during cooking.

PICKING THE FRYING OIL

I highly recommend using sunflower oil or peanut oil. This really imparts a nice flavor to the fried plantain; it's worth it.



A typical breakfast in Key West: fried plantains and
a sausage & egg breakfast sandwich on Cuban bread.

TO PREPARE
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE DISH
  1. Pour 1 1/2 - 2 cups of oil in a deep skillet. Heat the oil on medium-high heat.
  2. Peel 2 plantains. If needed, cut off both ends, slice down the curved edge and pull back the peel to remove it. Cut the plantain into 1 inch thick pieces, diagonally. (This gives you more surface area for frying.)
  3. Wait for the oil to slightly bubble before slipping your plantains in to fry. Carefully slide the plantains in the hot oil with a slotted spoon and fry on each side until golden brown, about 1 - 1 1/2 minutes per side.
  4. Drain on a paper-towel lined dish. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
For extra crispy plantains: Remove the plantains from the heat, place on a paper-towel lined dish and lightly smash with the bottom of a heavy drinking glass. Turn your heat to high and then place the plantains back in the oil when it's hotter. Flash-fry for another 30 seconds or until crisped to your liking.

For a sweet version, prepare the plantains as directed above and then sprinkle with brown sugar and quickly broil in the oven on high heat to carmelize them, then dust with powdered sugar.

Adios, amigos! (That means "goodbye, friends" in Spanish. See? I learned something during my Spanish lesson at McDonald's.)

2 comments:

  1. I love plantains! My Uncle Carlos introduced them to me when I was a kid. When cooked the green ones are called Tostones and the ripe ones are called Maduros. My Uncle always put Queso Blanco on the tostones. In the summer I like to put them on the grill instead of frying them - its a similar effect and saves so many calories!

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  2. Thanks for the comments - excellent suggestions. And thanks to your uncle, too!

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