{ imaginativa }: [ Patacones: green fried plantains ]

June 04, 2008

[ Patacones: green fried plantains ]

Yes, this is yet another post about food.
I was chatting with my brother in Canada earlier this evening and he was telling me about a panamenean way of cooking plantains. Patacones. It seems Ruben Blades showed the world how to make this treat on his show.
I learned how to make this dish from my Colombian born mother-in-law.(who taught me it's not just fried green bananas, it's a ritual, a gastronomic art form) They are very simple to make, and taste great.They taste best when they are hot out of the skillet. We eat them a lot with fish and as a great side dish.

Ingredients:
* 4 green plantain (do not use yellow, or yellowish green. It vastly changes the taste)
* vegetable oil
* salt

Directions:
1. Peel Plantain, and slice it length wise into medallions.

2. I have found that the easiest way to peel the plantain is to cut roughly 1/4" off of each end of the plantain (the very tips), and then carefully, without cutting into the plantain itself, slicing the skin down one side.

3. Once you have slit the skin on one side, you can gently remove the peel off with your fingers.

4. Heat about 1" of vegetable oil on medium heat until hot.

5. Fry plantain pieces on both sides for about 3 minutes, or until the pieces are golden.

6. When they are golden, remove from pan and place onto a plate covered with a paper towel.

7. Flatten the fried plantain. (with something heavy as if you were smashing it)

8. I do this by placing the pieces one at a time between 2 pieces of waxed paper, and flattening with my a small heavy pan.

9. Be careful not to put too much pressure, or the plantain will stick to the waxed paper.

10. Just gently flatten them till they are about 1/4" thick.

11. Place in the hot oil again and fry until both sides are golden brown.

12. Drain on paper towel covered plate (be sure to change paper towels in between the 2 fryings) and sprinkle with sea-salt.

13. Serve immediately.