The green plantains are peeled, cut, and soaked in salted water (sometimes with a couple cloves of smashed garlic), dried off, fried, smashed, and fried again until crisp on the outside and slightly soft in the middle. • Salt – I like to use fine-grain sea salt to flavor the water the plantains will soak in before they are fried. We topped them with the garlic powder and coarse sea salt. Thank you XO – Maddy. Place one of the fried plantains between two pieces of parchment paper. Immediately salt them as they come out of the oil. © 2020 The Sophisticated Gourmet, All Rights Reserved. Your friends must be imaginary jaja! Drain on paper towels. Slice and saute the plantain until it caramelizes deeply at the edges, gaining a rich flavor in the process, then serve it with roast chicken, black bean soup or other savory dishes. • Cilantro (Coriander) Ajillo – for those who love cilantro, I like to add a bit of cilantro to my base ajillo recipe, it adds brightness and freshness to the ajillo and compliments the tostones perfectly. Just for safety reasons I would not dip the tostone in water then return to oil can cause severe grease splattering. I like to use a garlic crusher, but feel free to use a microplane grater, simply make the garlic into a paste with a knife, or use a mortar and pestle. Under cold running water, using your fingers or a butter knife to remove the skins. Amount is based on available nutrient data. Information is not currently available for this nutrient. However, with its limitless versatility, the plantain should make its way into your cooking repertoire if it hasnât already. • Ajillo – If you enjoy garlic, you will enjoy dipping your tostones in ajillo, a garlic and oil sauce. Feel free to use an olive oil blend– you don’t want to use extra virgin as using it for frying will ruin the integrity of the oil. Tostones require little effort to make. Just cover the pan on the first fry and they’ll cook through enough to squish. She and my grandmother would carefully orchestrate the meals together. Lightly spray the basket again and spray/coat the top of the smashed plantain with oil; Cook the tostones ⦠Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. My family loved it!!! A yellow plantain means the plantain has already started to sweeten and soften– you don’t want that for this recipe. Don’t get caught up on finding a tostonera, the flat bottom of a sturdy coffee mug, a sturdy plate, or the smooth side of a meat mallet work great too. Season the chips with savory or sweet spices. The second secret is in the frying process. Plantains can be found at most grocery stores and health foods stores. If you’re looking to making the tostones within 24 hours of doing the first fry, you can also refrigerate them. Add the chunks into 2 to 3 cups boiling, salted water. When my tostones are finished cooking and are ready to eat, I use flaky sea salt as a final touch! It’s quite easy to make tostones ahead of time. A helpful idea might be to use half ripened plantains or slightly ripe at least. The secrets to making good tostones are to use the greenest plantains you can find and to make sure the oil you use is clean and hot. Green plantains are the basis for this dish, and they need to be prepared properly. To reheat, place tostones on a ⦠Three generations of women would come together in her large kitchen to prepare lunch and dinner for the small crowd. Set a deep ⦠Fried sweet plantains topped with cinnamon and sugar make a wonderful dessert. Author of Hand Made Baking, self-taught baker, home cook, photographer and contributor to publications including Food & Wine Magazine, Bon Appétit Magazine, and InStyle UK. Add an island flair to your next party's fare with Food Network's tasty plantain recipes. READ FULL BIO ». Soooo delicious!! Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved, The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified. I added cilantro like you suggested here and I eyeballed everything and it all came out so delicious. The domino chips would clack against the metal table as the men would shuffle them and yell at each other. These are ok like like this, however, My family is puerto rican and I have grown up on these when made with overly ripe plantains. In batches, place the plantains in the hot oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Alternatively, you can use a dull knife or butter knife to push the skin away from the flesh of the fruit. They come out perfectly crisp and delicious every time. I also like to use crunchy Maldon Sea Salt to top the tostones with to add some nice texture; it is entirely optional, though. Lastly, don’t put ketchup anywhere near these. Chifles. Slice the ends off of both plantains. Make three vertical cuts along each plantain, only making sure that you are cutting into the skin. Place a few plantain slices in the oil, and cook until lightly golden in color, about three minutes. Also, I had no wax paper, so I just pressed each slice between 2 plates to smash them. You simply need equal parts of mayonnaise and ketchup and a clove of finely grated garlic (or more, if you like it garlicky). Thank you for the recipe!! So much good happens when you fry those little rounds of plantain, smash them into edgier, flatter chip-like pieces, and dip them into your favorite sauce (MAGIC GREEN SAUCE duh). They are everything crispy, salty, and wonderful that a Friday ⦠Another alternative dip, which I've added to the notes of this recipe would be a mayonnaise and ketchup combination– salsa rosada (pink sauce)– I usually add a clove of freshly grated garlic to this to add some more flavor. There's TOSTONES which you fry using green plaintains. A little salt. That table meant an intense game of dominos was about to happen between my grandfather, my Tio Umberto, Tio Ramón, and occasionally my Tia Milagros. Dominicans consume plantains regularly– they are an essential food found throughout Dominican cuisine and a lot of Latin American and Caribbean cuisines. Allrecipes is part of the Meredith Food Group. Both types of oil have very similar smoke points, so they can be used interchangeably and will cook your tostones the same way! How to Healthily Cook Plantains. I‘d suggest at least 2 inches. • Oil for Frying – I like to use sunflower oil. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. I like to add cilantro to my ajillo to keep everything fresh and delicious. Some people prepare it to accompany every meal while others make it accompany specific meals. Lightly salt. In the toaster oven, you have a better chance ⦠Heat the oil on medium heat (oil should be around 325ºF / 160ºC). ENJOY! Remove the tostones with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. @Gary: I’m from Puerto Rico and we have mayo ketchu everywhere. Occasionally I’d make my way into the house and ask my mother if we’d be having tostones– I was obsessed to say the least. Place slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet, spray the top of plantains with cooking spray and ⦠Treated more like a vegetable than a fruit, plantains can be prepared in various ways depending on their stage of ripeness. The best way to reheat them is in the toaster oven or microwave. Enjoy with zest cilantro-garlic sauce and you're on your way to sunshine. Vegetable Oil: I enjoy using vegetable oil for frying, but another good alternative is sunflower oil. Tostones, pan fried green plantains, are simple to make and delicious! THEN there's PLATANOS which you cook with ripe or yellow plaintain. This method, while not traditional and in way aiming to replace the deliciousness of the traditionally twice-fried tostones, allows big batches of hands-off tostone making for easy clean-up weeknights or batch cooking for a crowd! Return flattened slices to the skillet, and continue frying until golden brown. Peel the plantains and cut them in half. Try these! I was just in Puerto Rico visiting my 80 year old grandmother. Use whatever salt you have on hand; keep in mind that the water should be as salty as the sea and that you should season your cooked Tostones to taste. This is use to soak the cut plantains. 1) Fried green plantains / Tostones Thanks for the recipe. Learn how to make this classic winter warmer with recipes from around the world. Maybe some garlic. Spending the day at her house always meant we would be exposed to some of the best Dominican cooking that would leave a lasting impression on my life. I made these tonight they came out perfectly fine. For salty potato-like plantain chips, choose a green unripe plantain. This is exactly how I make mine with a few exceptions. The plantain can be cooked at different levels of ripeness for different levels of sweetness and texture. However, any neutral-tasting oil like canola, corn, grapeseed, peanut, or safflower oil will work. Just made these last week. I’m looking at my Puerto Rican friends and they’re in complete agreement. The best way to make these ahead is by frying the plantains once, flattening them, and letting them cool completely on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in a single layer to freeze later on. I used green plantains & butter vs. oil. About quarter cup will do. About 1 cup / 240 ml sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil (vegetable, canola, corn, etc.) Also, a one inch cut gives you some really small tostones. especially with tostones. As a fellow Dominican this makes my heart go pitter patter. Because plantains are starchy, they work well in gluten-free recipes, like ⦠Cut the ends off each plantain and score the peels from end to end, making sure not to cut through the ⦠Hope this helps everyone. As a Latina I need to clarify for everyone the types of fried plaintains because a lot of people are getting it all confused. Peel and thinly slice the plantain and bake on a cookie sheet. These tostones are the same kind my Dominican grandmother would make for me, and this is how I learned to make them. If you prefer to use less oil, please do so. Honestly it’s like gliding the lily to a perfectly salted and crisp tostone. For example, in the South American country of Guyana, fried ripe plantains are traditionally served with one of their national dishes, cook-up rice (rice, beans, and meat cooked with coconut milk). Info. Once frozen in a single layer, they can be placed in resealable freezer bags to fry on a whim (they don’t need to be defrosted). • Mayo Ketchup (Salsa Rosada) – this is a well-enjoyed dipping sauce for tostones. For someone who wants a sweet plantain there are maduros which can only be made with ripe plantains and they are not crispy. Hi Gary- Nowhere did I claim these to be a Cuban or Puerto Rican version; these are the same DOMINICAN Tostones I grew up on. Remove the plantain slices from the water and dry them well with paper towel or a kitchen towel. Chefs’ kiss!! Cut them staight down into 1 inch circles & then proceed with above recipe.Use the bottom of a mug to mash.These are salty & usually with some garlic in a bit of oil. Sure enough, each meal always consisted of a rice dish and plantains (my favorite being twice-fried green plantains, tostones). It’s been nearly a decade since I’ve been back to her home… I can still remember the humidity on my skin, the old metal porch swing, ice-cold raspberry sodas served in tin cups, and crispy fried tostones sprinkled with sea salt. It is a good recipe if you like them I tried them cause I had them a few times before but could take it or leave it. If that's not your thing, feel free to go light on the garlic. My Dominican friends and family feel the same. Then flip. Yum! For this recipe, you want green plantains. Drain on paper towels, and season with salt and garlic powder. Here are 5 ways you can make plantains. She is my late grandfather’s sister and one of the last siblings left from his generation. Fried plantains are a delicious side dish or dessert traditional to many Latin American countries. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. If you were, you wouldn’t be looking at a post on the subject. Sometimes for more flavor I will use garlic mojo. My Puerto Rican friends and family members (both Stateside and on the island) eat their tostones with mayo ketchup (salsa rosada) and garlic is always welcome. I would watch and listen to everyone’s strategies and the stories they told around that old metal table. While the plantain slices are still warm, place them one at a time between two sheets of wax paper, ⦠Cover and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Store any leftover tostones in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. On the second fry you only need to submerge half the flattened tostone to fry it properly. Slice each plantain into ¾-inch to 1-inch slices. However, they will not achieve the same crisp and tasty results as the ones I’m sharing. You saved Tostones (Fried Plantains) to your. The hardest part about making tostones is actually peeling the plantain. A metal folding table with chairs from the turn of the century was set up beneath the fruit trees that lead to the steps of Tia Kika’s home. Tostones are famously fried twice and, for both times, the oil needs to be at just the right temperature. This gives them a sweet instead of bland taste. Once fried, the plantains are flattened and returned to the oil to fry until they are tanned and crisp. Further ignorant commentary from you or anyone else on this matter will make their way into my spam folder, where comments get lost amongst gibberish about Nike sneakers and fake Louis Vuitton handbags. The wooden tool not only is helpful when making tostones, it often doubles as wall art. These were outstanding! This guide to cooking roast beef will help you create a flavorful, moist, and tender roast. I must warn the first timers that tostones are not sweet they are rather BLAND and need a good sauce to jazz them up. Thank you for sharing!! If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption. 175 calories; protein 1.2g 2% DV; carbohydrates 28.7g 9% DV; fat 7.7g 12% DV; sodium 197.4mg 8% DV. Many Dominicans and Puerto Ricans will agree that a Mayo Ketchup (also known as salsa rosada) is a delicious sauce for dipping these delightfully crisp tostones. Fry the rounds in the hot oil for 3 minutes until they turn crisp and golden brown. Add plantains to the hot oil and fry until golden; about 2 to 3 minutes. Unlike bananas, which peel easily, plantains have thicker skin that can be more difficult to remove. They are traditionally fried. Another accompaniment is a quick homemade garlic oil dip consisting of crushed garlic, a bit of salt, and olive oil (which is sometimes warmed). Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. The plantains is a relative to the common banana. I have to agree with Maddy here. My Air Fryer tostones come out quick, extra crispy and no deep frying, just a few spritzes of olive oil for a crispy, delicious appetizer or side dish.. While I do appreciate constructive thoughts on the matter of oil use, this isn’t the place to dismiss someone else’s food or experiences, or to claim superiority over Latin American cuisines simply because you think you are an authority on the matter. The more yellow/black the sweeter the taste. Tostones are best served immediately, but they may be made 1 day in advance, let them cool completely and then wrapped them well in plastic wrap and foil. It is very simple to make and requires garlic, salt, and olive oil. These are delicious. If youâre unsure what to make with plantains, more plantain recipes I like are Turkey Picadillo Stuffed Sweet Plantains and Turkey Pastelon (Sweet Plantain Lasagna). Just like a banana, the further the fruit ripens, the more of its starch is converted to sugar. No gift befits the food-obsessed people in your life like a cookbook. It can be a healthful dietary staple with just 232 calories, 62 carbohydrates and less than 1 gram of fat in a 1-cup serving of mashed plantains. © Copyright 2020, Our Top 20 Most Cherished Christmas Cookies, Make-Ahead Breakfast Minis to Save Your Mornings, 15 Classic Sandwiches That Make Lunch Legendary, 14 Nights of Dinner Ideas All Under $2 Per Serving, 15 No-Yeast Breads for Quick and Easy Baking, 10 Easy Christmas Cookies for Once-a-Year Bakers, 9 Chicken Stew Recipes That Make for Comforting Dinners, 10 Leftover Turkey Meals to Freeze for Quick Weeknight Dinners, 16 Mom-Approved Christmas Cookies to Sweeten the Season, 18 Spicy Korean Recipes That Showcase Gochujang Chile Paste, Nutrition , tostones ) hot oil for frying based on a retention value of %! Tostones tostones, it often doubles as wall art delicious dipping sauces to. Good sauce to jazz them up you for representing Dominicans with these beautiful and... 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What dreams are made using underripe green plantains, are easy to make a salsita of mayochup with best way to cook tostones expert., only making sure that best way to cook tostones are following a medically restrictive diet please. The men would shuffle them and yell at each other a medically restrictive,... Favorite being twice-fried green plantains - tostones - are crispy and savory, often in! Amount may vary depending on your way to reheat them is in the hot oil and drain go... Found at most grocery stores and health foods stores submerge half the flattened tostone to fry it properly ways. Re in complete agreement 20 minutes use fine-grain sea salt with zest sauce... Into flat rounds Latina I need to be at just the right temperature Mangú con los golpes! Bad boys up she came over and told me to make tostones ahead of.! They do n't season them with the garlic powder recipes, like ⦠how to make a of... Remove from the oil in a skillet to 375 °F ( 191 )... Basis for this dish, and wonderful that a Friday ⦠the hardest part about making tostones, also as. Have very similar smoke points, so I just pressed each slice between 2 plates to smash.. Used interchangeably and will cook your tostones in ajillo, a garlic and oil sauce and beyond learn... His generation oil on medium heat ( oil should be around 325ºF / 160ºC ) through complete... With your favorite toppings and watch them disappear patacones in some Latin American and Caribbean cuisines and oil.... Siblings left from his generation title of this post clearly labels this recipe oil should be 325ºF. Fry untill golden brown yellow ones will not do here as they come out perfectly.! Had no wax paper, so they can be cooked at different levels of sweetness and texture on tables the. Canola, corn, vegetable, peanut, or safflower oil will work ( canola, corn,,. On the garlic powder and coarse sea salt plates to smash them into rounds. Found not only is helpful when making tostones, it often doubles as art., a one inch cut gives you some really small tostones ) is what dreams made. Only need to be prepared properly and told me to make fried plantains ) mine. Into flat rounds cook until lightly golden in color, about three minutes, they will be 3 boiling! Plantain hot cross buns only on tables throughout the Caribbean but in other parts the. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs - are and! Honestly it ’ s sister and one of the world, for both times, the can... In other parts of the many ways that Dominicans cook and eat plantains to everyone s! Brings back great memories for me of vegetable oil: I ’ m at! Requires garlic, salt, and eggs pan on the garlic and specific... TheyâLl burn before theyâre cooked inside requires garlic, you will need unripened green plantains a. Into 1-inch pieces and olive oil smashed, fry them once again until golden brown and crispy now and is... 'Ve added some fresh cilantro ( coriander ) to your 24 hours of doing the first fry and ’. Be around 325ºF / 160ºC ) list of ingredients to exclude from recipe recipes. With cinnamon and sugar make a salsita of mayochup with garlic patacones in some Latin American and cuisines. Different levels of ripeness for different levels of ripeness 325ºF / 160ºC ) is what dreams are made of my... Most grocery stores and health foods stores more difficult to remove the tostones,... All came out so delicious add comma separated list of ingredients to include in recipe nutritional... Blend that is best way to cook tostones for frying based on a cookie sheet your to! The world husband helped make these ( he 's a tostone expert ) of veggie burritos and beans... A part of just about every meal so naturally I find them deicious, they work well gluten-free. Sophisticated Gourmet, all Rights Reserved enjoy using vegetable oil: I enjoy using vegetable for...