we (heart) plantains

We have a craving plantains right now, especially me. Since our neighborhood does not carry them, we will have to wait until I get a chance to go to my mom's corner supermarket. In the meantime, I can certainly write about them and reveal a couple of recipes. You know, for posterity.

It has long been said that plantains are the "cousin" of the yellow bananas. Walk into a supermarket in a predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhood and you will find several kinds of "bananas":

- two kinds of bananas (your standard yellow, and green that later turn to standard yellow)
- mature yellow plantains (which are sweet after they are cooked)
- green plantains (not sweet) that later mature to sweet yellow plantains
- green "bananas" (usually packaged in a plastic bag that resemble the yellow bananas that we all know), but these in particular are not sweet at all and definitely do not turn yellow. I would take a chance and say that they are somewhere in between, leaning more towards the plantain side of the family. You peel them like a standard yellow banana, but they need to be cooked. Usually they are boiled in a little bit of water and then mashed with a little bit of butter and salt (and a little bit of the water it was cooked in) like your making mashed potatoes. Yummy! It makes a nice side to grilled meat or chicken. I would serve this as a side for my beef stew instead of rice .

Back to the plantains. There are several different ways to cook plantains to suit all tastes, that is, if you have a taste for them to begin with. It takes a little bit of practice, but it's oh so worth it in the end. Anyway, it's nice just to experiment and serve something different for dinner. Aside from the bagged plantain chips from the supermarket or corner grocer, these are my favorite ways to eat plantains. (I have made them all, except for that last one.) 

Fried yellow plantains (or "Maduros")
Always a favorite side at a Spanish-style restaurant, and rightly so.

2 large yellow plantains
1/3 to 1/2 cup corn oil (or lard)
salt, optional

Heat oil. Cut ends off of the yellow plantain. Make a slit lengthwise and remove peel. Cut on a bias about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Using tongs or a fork, gently place slices in frying pan. Cook at medium flame for about 5-6 minutes turning over once. Remove and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve immediately.

Stewed yellow plantains
I rarely let my green plantains turn yellow because we always like to have tostones (recipe to follow). Still, it's another option. When I was still living at my mom's, we used to have this on the weekends as a side to my version of huevos rancheros (scrambled eggs with onions and peppers on top of a toasted corn tortilla).

1 large plantain
water
salt

Rinse plantain thoroughly, with peel still on. Cut ends off. Make a slit lengthwise, but do not remove peel. Place plantain in about a cup and a half of water with a little bit of salt. Boil until knife pierces the plantain easily. Drain and discard peel. Cut into bite sized pieces and serve with my version of huevos rancheros .

"Tostones" (or "Patacones")
My family's favorite! Liam likes this salty snack the best. Hey, better than chips, no? Americans eat French fries and home fries, we eat tostones! In Colombia and Venezuela, they are also known as "patacones". It is a great little side.

It is a little bit labor intensive, but practice makes perfect and with practice comes speed, too. I try not to think about the process, but the end result. Yum! Removing the peel is not exactly easy. It takes time and practice. If you place the plantains under running hot water for 1 minute, the peel will loosen slightly and it will be easier to peel. When done right, you will not lose any of the plantain. I usually just peel it with my hands. You can try it with a knife.

You will need to purchase an inexpensive "tostonera". It is a kitchen gadget made of two pieces of wood and are attached with hinges. Liam calls it a kitchen clapper. Ha! It is used to flatten out the plantains to make beautiful circles with crispy edges after fried. If treated well, the inexpensive tostonera may last quite a few years. Back in the day, my mother used to use the back of a saucer. I, on the other hand, have my eye on the ultimate tostonera!

2 large green or unripe plantains
3/4 to 1 cup canola oil (or lard)
salt

Heat oil in a large pan. Place plantains under running hot water for 1 minute. This will loosen up the peel. Dry them up with a kitchen towel. Cut ends off. Make slit lengthwise, but not too deep. Remove peel. This part is tricky and will definitely require some practice. Cut into 1 inch rounds. Using your tongs, place them in oil. Cook for about two minutes on each side. Remove and let them cool slightly (30 seconds). Then, flatten with the tostonera. Return flattened rounds to hot oil to finish cooking. Cook until crispy and light golden brown. As soon as you remove them from the oil, sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately.

Note: If you have a deep fryer, you can do this: You can mold the once-fried rounds to make a "cup" and drop them again in the deep fryer. Remove and drain on paper towels. Then, add a filling like shredded beef, shredded chicken, shrimp, or apple pie filling. 

"Mangu"
This is usually served as breakfast in the Dominican Republic.

I have never been there, but the family that lived next door to us growing up was from the Dominican Republic. Since my brother and I disliked my mother's cooking and their kids disliked their mother's cooking, we often swapped. I honestly think we had the better part of the deal. We thought it was great fun as kids. The parents put up with it for a while, just so that we could eat. "Mangu" was one of my favorite dishes of theirs.

This one is simple to make and requires a potato masher, the one that is used for making mashed potatoes. A fork can also be used to mash up the cooked plantains. Once mashed, I place two eggs, sunny-side up, and add a couple of spoonfuls of caramelized onions on the side. If you want to go all the way Dominican (and you have an extra artery lying around), you can have a slice or two of fried cheese* (a special kind of hard, rubbery, salty cheese that turns soft and retains its shape when fried but does not melt and spread out like most other cheeses) and fried salami (from the Dominican Republic). Keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to fry these last two additions. Throwing them onto a nonstick skillet also works well. You can also flavor the olive oil and butter with a clove of garlic and pour it on the cooked plantains while mashing.

2 green or unripe plantains (one per person)
water
salt
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled (optional)
1 pat of butter (optional)
1 large onion (red, yellow or white)
1 teaspoon vinegar (optional)

Cook onion in one tablespoon of olive oil. Add a splash of vinegar (optional). Cook until soft. Set aside.

Place plantains under running hot water for 1 minute. This will loosen up the peel. Cut ends off. Make slit lengthwise, but not too deep. Remove peel. Cut each plantain into quarters (four equal pieces). Boil in water (about 4 or 5 cups. Cook until tender. Remove plantains and place them in a bowl. Add salt and optional olive oil and butter that has been flavored with the garlic clove. Mash with a potato masher or a fork. Spoon onto a plate. Serve immediately.

*A search engine will yield up the brand names and a myriad of pictures mostly of the end product. "Queso frito", "queso de freir" or "queso para freir" will provide some very yummy pictures.

Next time I cook plantains in any of the three ways detailed above, I will recruit my husband into taking some photos of the entire process and insert them in this post.

"Mofongo"
This is also a popular dish in the Dominican Republic. I have never made this at home, never. I think it's too labor intensive. This is one dish that is definitely to be eaten this at a Dominican restaurant. When I was still living with my mom and my brother, once a year around February (close to the Dominican Republic's Independence Day) I would go with my brother to a "restaurant" where we could actually see them make it right in front of you. It is basically fried green plantains with garlic and pork "chicharron" (pork crackling, not to be confused with the yucky bagged salty snack). A deep fryer works best if you have one, otherwise a deep frying pan. A large mortal and pestle (a wooden "pilon") is needed to pound together the plantain and the crunchy pork. Some restaurants serve the mofongo with a chunky meat sauce on top. I like it with a spoonful or two of caramelized onions and a crispy salad on the side.

The pork skins for the crackling can be purchased at your butchers. It is not available at the local supermarket. One pound is enough, just be sure there is a little bit of meat still attached.

1 pound of pork skins
corn or canola oil (or lard)
2 green or unripe plantains (one per person)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
salt

Cut pork skins, skin side down, into strips and make several slits about one inch apart, but don't cut right through to the skin. Season with salt and refrigerate for about an hour. Preheat the deep fryer to 375F. Using tongs, place them into the hot oil and fry them until crispy, golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle salt on them and set aside.

Smash the garlic (slightly smashed to break up into pieces, not mashed into a pulp) and slowly cook it in olive oil 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

Place plantains under running hot water for 1 minute to loosen up the peel. Cut ends off. Make slit lengthwise, but not too deep. Remove peel. Cut into chunks and place them into the hot oil using your tongs. Fry the plantains until cooked through and golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Using the mortar and pestle, pound the plantains, garlic and pork cracklings. Flip the mortar over onto a plate and serve immediately.

For more yummy plantain recipes, I like a website called
Aunt C l a r a ' s Dominican cooking.