Fried Green Plantains And Garlic Sauce Tostones With Mojo Recipes

CUBAN TOSTONES WITH GARLIC MOJO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil for deep frying.
• Peel the plantains and slice them at an angle into 1~1½" thick pieces.
• Gently slide into the hot oil and fry for 4~5 minutes, flipping once. Using a slotted spoon, remove the plantains from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain for about 2 minutes.
• When the fried slices are just cool enough to handle, about 2~3 minutes; gently but firmly flatten them to about ⅜" thick. I used my poori press to press the fried plantains, but a soup can, tortilla press or even a rolling pan will also work.
• Gently drop the flattened plantains back into the hot oil and fry for another 3~4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp along the edges.
• Return to the paper to drain, sprinkle the hot tostones with salt, and serve immediately.
• In a large saucepan, combine the olive oil, garlic, onion and bring to a gently simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 12~14 minutes or until the garlic and onion are very soft and just starting to turn golden.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and ground cumin.
• Set aside for 2 minutes to cool slightly. Gently stir in the lime juice and ground pepper. Serve with tostones.

TOSTONES WITH GARLIC MOJO DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• For the mojo: Finely mince or use a rasp grater to grate the garlic into a small bowl or the base of a mortar and pestle. Add the salt and pepper and use a fork or the pestle to mash into a paste. Strip the oregano and cilantro leaves off the stems and add them to the bowl, mashing them into the paste. Whisk in the sour orange juice or equal parts lime and orange juice and the olive oil. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Set aside while you prepare the tostones.
• For the tostones: Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven until it reaches 325 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• While the oil heats, peel the plantains and cut on the bias into 2-inch-thick pieces.
• Fry the plantains in batches until crisp and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper-towel-lined baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining plantains.
• Move the pot the off the heat (do not discard the oil).
• Line a cutting board with parchment paper and gather a flat-bottomed glass and small bowl of water. Place a fried plantain on the parchment paper, dip the bottom of the glass in the water and use it to smash the plantain to about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the plantains.
• Put the oil on the heat again and bring it back up to 325 degrees F. Fry the smashed plantains in batches until golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels, season with salt and serve hot with the garlic mojo dipping sauce.

TOSTONES (TWICE FRIED GREEN PLANTAINS) WITH MAYO-KETCHUP DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, and garlic in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Fry plantain chunks until golden but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Allow the plantains to cool slightly, then smash each piece of plantain in a tostonero or with the bottom of a clean can. Fry the flattened plantains a second time until golden and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes more. Season with garlic salt.