Tostones: The One Fried Food I'd Trade my Arteries for (z2)

   
     There is one food I feel, besides beans and rice, that everyone needs to eat and that food is tostones. Tostones (also called patacones) are essentially twice fried plantains. This dish is commonly found in the Caribbean, including in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. I've only tasted those native to Puerto Rico, but that was all it took. Allow me to explain the magic.
    Tostones are made from green plantains, which are starchy vegetables that look almost exactly like a banana. If you imagine a potato and  a banana mish-mashed together, and tasting something more flavorful than the U.S.'s favorite starch, then a plantain you have. Because the chopped plaintain is fried twice, it becomes cooked through with a golden, crispy exterior. It may sound like a french fry...but it's so much more. White potatoes tend to be completely bland, whereas tostones have a depth of flavor, not only from the oil and salt but from their own magical chemical composition. Basically...they're really good, and they taste way better than any Oreo, Snickers bar, or meat product you can accidentally put in hot oil.

   While I am certainly no Latina matriarch, here's a recipe I have found commonly floating on the interwebs. (Also, I translated this myself. Que win!)




Ingredientes:

• 2 green plantains. Use one plantain per person if this is being used as a main dish, and one plantain for two people if you're making a side dish. One plantain makes five tostones. 
• Oil - Canola, peanut, or sunflower  - for frying

• Condiments - garlic, mayoketchup (which is extremely delicious and extremely Puerto Rican and we all need to eat it...)

Preparación:

1. Peal the plantains. The easiest way to do this is to cut along vertically on an angle. The cut should be the depth of the skin. Then use the knife to lift the skin, an use your fingers to take off the peel. The more green the plantain is, the more difficult it is to peal.


2. Cut the plantain into thick chunks. You can cut straight across or diagonally (the fancy cooking people, aka chefs, call this cutting on a bias).


3. Heat the oil under medium heat in a frying pan. Use enough oil so that each of the chunks are covered. Or, use a deep fryer. The temperature should be at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the plantains until they begin to turn yellow. Do not allow them to turn brown.


4. Take out the plantains and use a pataconera, a mortar and pestle, or bottom of a glass to smash the plantain, but with care that you do not tear the plantain pieces.


5. Sprinkle salt or other spices on the chunks. If you want some garlic flavor, place some raw garlic on the slices. Set aside the plantains until they are ready to be fried a second time.


6. Return to heat the oil under high heat. The temperature should be around 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the smashed plantain slices until they are golden, approximately 1-2 minutes for each side.


7. Take out the slices, and put them on paper towels to absorb the grease. Add more salt if it is necessary.


8. Serve your tostones hot as a side dish, or main dish with salsa...or anything you please! Buen provecho!




It is now your destiny to make this golden treasures.
See the video below for more ayuda!