Fry Plantains
Fried plantains are a delicious side dish or dessert traditional to many Latin American countries. Fried green plantains - tostones - are crispy and savory, often served in place of fried potatoes. Fried sweet plantains topped with cinnamon and sugar make a wonderful dessert. See Step 1 and beyond to learn how to make fried plantains both ways.
Contents
Ingredients
Fried Green Plantains
- 2 pounds unripe plantains
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
Fried Sweet Plantains
- 2 pounds ripe plantains
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- Sugar and cinnamon to taste
Steps
Frying Green Plantains
- Pick out fresh green plantains. Fried green plantains are made with fresh unripe plantains. If you're new to plantains, look for large banana-shaped fruits with green skins. Green plantains are perfect for making a savory fried side dish. If you want the sweet version of fried plantains, you'll need to wait until the plantains are fully ripe.
- Green plantains should be firm with green skins that have minimal bruising.
- If you want, buy a bunch of plantains and use some while they're unripe and save some to make sweet plantains after a week or two.
- Peel the plantains. The skin of green plantains is too stiff to be peeled away like that of a banana. Use a paring knife to chop the ends of the plantains. Run the knife along the plantain to slit the skin from one end to the other. Use your fingers to peel the skin from the fruit inside and completely remove the skin, then discard it.
- Slice the plantains into bite-sized pieces. Lay a plantain on a cutting board and slice it on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. This is the customary way to slice tostones.
- Alternatively, slice the plantain lengthwise into long, flat strips that will curl when they fry.
- Heat the oil. Pour the oil into a dutch oven or stockpot so that it rises up about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Heat it thoroughly, until it's hot enough to sizzle when you add a bit of plantain. It should reach about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}.
- Fry the plantains. Lay the plantain pieces in the hot oil and fry them until they're tender and golden, which takes about 5 minutes. Flip the plantain pieces halfway through the frying process. When they're golden, transfer them to paper towel-lined plates to drain.
- Be sure to fry the plantains in a single layer, so that they cook evenly. Don't overcrowd the pot. If you need to, you can fry them in two batches.
- Leave the oil on the heat, since you'll be frying the plantains once more.
- Dip the plantain pieces in saltwater. Fill a small bowl with water and a few shakes of salt. One by one, dip the plantain pieces in the saltwater. This process softens the plantain pieces a bit so that they end up creamy on the inside.
- You can skip this step if you'd like, but the plantains will be a little on the dry side.
- Smash the plantain pieces. Lay them on a plate and use the back of a spatula to smash them a bit. This will flatten the plantain pieces so they fry up crispy and thin.
- Fry them again. After dipping the plantain pieces in water, put them back in the hot oil to fry a second time. Fry them until they turn deep gold, about 3 more minutes, turning them as needed. When the plantains are golden brown, transfer them to a paper-towel lined plate to serve.
- Serve them hot with sauce. Sprinkle the plantains with a bit of salt and serve them up. Fried green plantains are delicious with aioli, spicy mayonnaise, cilantro sauce, and sweet pepper sauce.
Frying Sweet Plaintains
- Pick out ripe, sweet plantains. Sweet plantains give a little when you press them. Their skins are mottled yellow and brown. If you find green plantains, give them several days to ripe before you make your sweet dessert dish.
- Peel the plantains. Use a paring knife to chop the ends off the plantains. Use your fingers to pull back the peel and remove it from the fruit inside. Discard the peel.
- Slice them on the diagonal. Lay the plantains on a cutting board and slice them into 1/2-inch pieces. If you like thicker plantains, slice them into 1-inch pieces. For thin, crispy plantains, slice them into 1/4-inch pieces.
- Heat the oil. Pour the oil into a stockpot or frying pan so that it rises up the sides {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Heat the oil until a deep frying thermometer reads 340 degrees.
- For a less oil-heavy dish, add just a bit of oil to a frying pan and heat it until it sizzles when you add a bit of plantain to the pan.
- Fry the plantains. Lay them in the hot oil and fry them until they're brown and crispy on one side, which should take about 2 minutes. Flip them over and fry them on the other side until both sides are golden brown. The longer they fry, the sweeter they'll taste.
- Drain the plantains. Remove them from the hot oil and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain completely.
- Serve them hot with sugar. Sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon to taste. For a truly delectable dish, make a fresh batch of whipped cream to top the fried sweet plantains.
Tips
- Slice them thin for a crispier texture.
- Make fried plantains for get-together parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other occasions you like.
Warnings
- Allow to cool before eating. The inside can take surprisingly long (or maybe the outside is surprisingly tempting).
- Observe the usual cautions when frying.
