Fried Plantains... Fail page 3

[walteri]

Guatemalan here thats been eating them since I can remember. I remember seeing them go completely black in the fruit basket as a kid and always thought it was gross...until my mom would fry them up!

So yeah, just wait til they are very ripe.

[d2mini]

ok, i revisted this today... with SUCCESS!
Lower heat, small slices on diagonals (instead of a few large pieces cutting the whole thing in half lengthwise), and I added the cinnamon. Yum! Thanks!

[Adrianag]

ok, i revisted this today... with SUCCESS!
Lower heat, small slices on diagonals (instead of a few large pieces cutting the whole thing in half lengthwise), and I added the cinnamon. Yum! Thanks!

Good, you can also do lengthwise slices, no more than 3/8" thick. To do this cut it in half first.

[Gator]

Tostones, Patacones----samo samo --or --lo mismo. Depends on where you are.

Also try mofongo----fry up plantains---green ones---then mash and mix--fifty/fifty-- with crushed hard-fried fat. Once it was pig but now for me it is beef fat. Roll into balls and watch a game while you eat.

A good clue if a plantain is passed the tostones phase is smell. If it smells like a banana, slice lengthwise and fry with your morning eggs.

When you handle plantains, don't touch your light colored clothes or they will take up a brown stain. A sun tan is called 'la mancha del platano'----a plantain stain.

[ciep]

I'm so glad this discussion has been going on! I've been waiting for my plantains to ripen for a week now and I'm planning on making them tonight (in about an hour actually). Very excited! I haven't had them since I was in Puerto Rico last summer (where I tried them for my first time, and second, and third, and... lol).

So anyway, I just jumped on the forum and used the search function for plantains and got this thread. How perfect!

Adrianag, thanks for the great info!

My plantains are yellow now with a few brown and black spots. I guess that's not ideal but I can't wait anymore. I'm going to try to fry them in coconut oil (as everyone else seems to be doing). Just a couple quick questions...

1. How hot should I get the oil? Adrian says "fry in hot oil". I'm seeing some suggestions in this thread for lower heat. What's best -- set the burner on high, med, or low?
2. How big should the chunks be that I cut? I was going to cut them about 1/2 an inch thick, sound alright?
3. How long should I let them fry for? I know I'll be going by color change mostly, but can someone give me an estimate?
4. Tostones (double fried) or not? Anyone want to share their preference?

I actually have 3 plantains to experiment with so I'll probably try single fried and double fried actually. This will be fun.

[theholla]

Also try mofongo----fry up plantains---green ones---then mash and mix--fifty/fifty-- with crushed hard-fried fat. Once it was pig but now for me it is beef fat. Roll into balls and watch a game while you eat.

I had been planning to do mofongo, but I waited too long and wound up having to do platanos maduros intead, haha. Do you use broth in your mofongo?

[Adrianag]

I'm so glad this discussion has been going on! I've been waiting for my plantains to ripen for a week now and I'm planning on making them tonight (in about an hour actually). Very excited! I haven't had them since I was in Puerto Rico last summer (where I tried them for my first time, and second, and third, and... lol).

So anyway, I just jumped on the forum and used the search function for plantains and got this thread. How perfect!

Adrianag, thanks for the great info!

My plantains are yellow now with a few brown and black spots. I guess that's not ideal but I can't wait anymore. I'm going to try to fry them in coconut oil (as everyone else seems to be doing). Just a couple quick questions...

1. How hot should I get the oil? Adrian says "fry in hot oil". I'm seeing some suggestions in this thread for lower heat. What's best -- set the burner on high, med, or low?
2. How big should the chunks be that I cut? I was going to cut them about 1/2 an inch thick, sound alright?
3. How long should I let them fry for? I know I'll be going by color change mostly, but can someone give me an estimate?
4. Tostones (double fried) or not? Anyone want to share their preference?

I actually have 3 plantains to experiment with so I'll probably try single fried and double fried actually. This will be fun.

1. Medium heat and watch them closely, they can go from golden to charcoal quickly
2. Slices should be 3/8"-1/2" thick, diagonal or lengthwise slices
3. Fry til golden, usually less than 5 minutes
4. Tostones are awesome using green plantains or "pintones", those just picking up some color. Cut into 2" chunks, fry at low heat until fork- tender, remove, smash flat, dip in salted water, refry. Mash a couple of green onions with salt, spread over the top. Heaven.

[periquin]

theholla: I'll answer for Gator--he's the cousin that took that trip with me that I told you about--no broth.

Ever been to Porky's Point? Can't remember the exact street--its been a long long time-- but somewhere near 30th and Girard maybe. Also, lots of small restuarants on Girard an nearby --close to Front St. Try tostones, mofongo, fried amarillos, and so much more.

afterthought:
PS---some good sites for that Spanish practice you mentioned.

[lyra]

fried plantains are probably one of my fav desserts ever.

*drool*

glad you got the hang of it. enjoy!

[jmar]

Just a couple of tips I've picked up from living in Miami. I'm a gringo... but love Latin culture so take it with a grain of salt if you'd like. I also have a 1/2 Colombian girlfriend so that gives me some cred

Adrianag hit the nail on the head: The best tostones (the squished fried chips) are actually double fried. What you do is cut off large chunks of a ripe, but not superripe, plantain at an angle. Then you grab your handy platano press, which is a wood or plastic device you get at a Latin grocer. it has two flat plates and a little indentation. You insert the once fried chunk into the indentation and squish. Then you get a nice partly fried chip that you throw back in the fat to let it get cooked all the way through. There's the secret to tostones.

Also, the maduros are the really tasty sweet fried plantains. Those are the ones you want the really black plantains for. They're also fried but don't really get crispy like the tostones. ( Recipe: 3 Guys From Miami Cuban Recipes: Ultimate Platanos Maduros ).

Tostones and maduros have totally different flavors, but are both delicious. You'll notice that the recipe above calls for lard, which is traditional in a lot of Cuban cooking (it's the secret to the best Cuban bread... even though that's a verboten topic here ).

Edit: Here's a plantain press (tostonera in Spanish) for your reference. I prefer the plastic as it can be washed a little more thoroughly: http://www.amazon.com/Imusa-J100-5-5.../dp/B0018KI8FA