Fried Plantains (Tostones)

This is one of the Caribbean Island favorite snacks or side dish. You could find them all over the Islands under the warming lights but they are best enjoyed fresh just out of the frying pan. You could top them with just about anything shrimp salad, ceviche of any kind, a garlic and olive oil sauce or just plain ketchup this last one been one of my favorite. Also a good mayo-ketchup-garlic-hot sauce concoction is great.

 

Ingredients

2 large green plantains

1 plastic bag like the supermarket kind

Oil for frying

Salt

 

Cut the ends of the plantains off and make a slit down the whole length of the plantains this will aid in the peeling later. Put the plantains inside the plastic bag and put in the microwave for 5 minutes.

Remove from microwave and discard the bag be careful the plantains will be very hot. Let them cool for a bit until you can handle them. Remove the skin at this point the skin will peel right off without any effort. Usually and traditionally the plantains will have to be fried twice but not with the microwave method as they are already cooked once.

Cut in rounds about ¾ inch and press down with a tostonera or the bottom of a small saucer press down to about ¼ of an inch or so and fry at 350 degrees in corn oil until golden brown salt them as they come out of the fryer. Work in small batches so your oil does not get to cold. Serve hot with some garlic sauce or Mayo-Ketchup.