Sweet Plantain Salsa With Tostones Recipes

TOSTONES

Steps:

• Preheat oil to 350 degrees F.
• Cut plantains down the middle; peel away skin and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
• Add plantains to the hot oil and fry until golden; about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook as you want the center to still be raw. Lightly salt.
• Put the fried plantain through the old fashioned smasher. This will make it a cup shape.
• Place the "the plantain cup" into the deep-fryer and fry again until golden brown and fully firm, about 2 to 3 minutes Drain on a paper towel lined sheet tray. Season with salt.

SWEET PLANTAIN SALSA WITH TOSTONES

Steps:

• In a bowl combine beans, corn kernels, pepper, red onion, jalapenos and cilantro. Add lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Cut ends off plantains and peel. Cut plantains on the bias so that resulting slices are about 1/2-inch thick. In a large nonstick sautepan over medium to high heat, heat oil. Saute plantains in batches until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove fried plantains to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Chop cooled plantains into ?-inch dice and add to bean mixture. Serve with Tostones (see recipe below)
• TOSTONES: Cut ends off plantains and peel. Cut plantains so that resulting slices are 1-inch round pieces. In a large nonstick sautepan over medium to high heat, heat about 1/2-inch oil. Fry plantains in batches until golden and softened, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from sautepan and drain. Flatten cooked plantain pieces by pressing with heavy sautepan, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Briefly dip in a bowl of warm salted water and drain. Return flattened plantains to hot oil and fry again, in batches, until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Serve with Sweet Plantain Salsa (see recipe above Yield: about 3 dozen tostones.)

TOSTONES

Steps:

• Trim and discard the ends of the plantains. Use a paring knife to cut a slit along the length of the plantain to easily remove the peel, carefully avoiding cutting into the flesh. If the peel is too firm, use a spoon to lift the edges, then discard the peel. Slice the plantain crosswise into 1-inch rounds (about 8 pieces per plantain).
• In a large skillet, heat about 1/8-inch vegetable oil over medium. When the oil shimmers, add the plantains, flat-side down. Fry until beginning to turn golden, about 1 minute per side.
• While keeping the heat on, transfer plantains to a cutting board. Working with one piece at a time, use a tostonera or large flat-bottomed cup to gently press each plantain to about 1/2-inch thick. (If using a cup, keep it as centered as possible to flatten the plantains evenly.)
• Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, pan-fry the flattened plantains until golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer tostones to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. While hot, season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

TOSTONES (FRIED PLANTAINS)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place a few plantain slices in the oil, and cook until lightly golden in color, about three minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining slices.
• While the plantain slices are still warm, place them one at a time between two sheets of wax paper, and flatten by hand to 1/4 inch thick. Return flattened slices to the skillet, and continue frying until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and season with salt and garlic powder.

PUERTO RICAN TOSTONES (FRIED PLANTAINS)

Steps:

• Peel the plantain and cut it into 1-inch chunks.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Place the plantains in the oil and fry on both sides,; approximately 3 1/2 minutes per side.
• Remove the plantains from the pan and flatten the plantains by placing a plate over the fried plantains and pressing down.
• Dip the plantains in water, then return them to the hot oil and fry 1 minute on each side. Salt to taste and serve immediately.