What are tostones?
Also called Patacones, Tostones are thin sliced, twice-fried, crispy rounds. They are delicious and as such, a staple in any Caribbean household. And today, I will give you a very simple recipe for you to try them at home.
Plantains
There are two main types of plantains, ripe and green. Pretty simple, right? The only trick you need to learn is at what stage of the plantain you need to pick them. For sweet fried plantains, you need to pick them when they are at their ripest, and for tostones, you need to pick the greenest ones you can find.
Tostones are not sweet at all, that is why you need to make sure you pick the greenest ones available. usually they are separated from the yellow plantains which might be a good tip for you to look in two separate places at your grocery store.
Also, you might need to go to a hispanic grocery or an international supermarket store as I have not seen good green plantains at regular supermarkets.
Steps
I will guide you through all the steps so this can be as simple as possible to follow.
Buy green plantains
As stated above, buy the greenest plantains you can find. Usually a better idea to shop at a hispanic store near you, or an international supermarket.
*Note: green plantains are not to be confused with green bananas. Plantains are larger than bananas. Think plantains are bananas on steroids, if that makes sense. If you are not sure, please ask a store worker to help you find them.
Peel plantains
This can be a little tricky as the plantain is green and it might be difficult to peel. I usually just cut off the ends of the plantains, then I make 3 or 4 vertical slits (peel deep only) in the plantain. After that, I use a butter knife to try and remove the peel. If the peel is being stubborn, do not be afraid to just slice the peel off!
For reference, take a look at this video that better explains how to peel green plantains.
Cut plantains
After your plantains are completely peeled, slice them in 1 inch thick slices. The thicker you make them, the longer they will take to fry. On the contrary, if you slice them too thin, they will burn and you will not be able to smash them as easily.
Fry plantains the first time
Yes. These are twice-fried! After the oil has heated (think medium low-medium heat), place the sliced plantains in it. You will let them fry for about 2 minutes, then you will flip them and allow time to fry for about 2 more minutes. Once you are able to insert a fork through them (at least half way in), then you can remove them from the oil and place them in a flat plate.
Smash plantains
This is where you need a plantain smasher, or a canned beans can, or two small flat plates. As you can see, this can get a little creative. You just need to smash them until they take the round form we need.
Fry plantains the second time
After you have smashed them, place them in the hot oil again. This time will be for a shorter time as they are practically cooked at this time. Once you begin seeing oil bubbles through the middle of the plantains (where the seeds are), you can flip them. Allow them to cook for about a minute or so on high heat, and remove them from the oil.
Add salt to finish
Place your tostones in a paper towel covered plate to drain any excess oil. Add salt to taste.
You might also like:
Sweet Plantain Casserole Recipe
Caribbean Infused Roasted Turkey Recipe
Guineitos en Escabeche (pickled green bananas) Recipe
For the pico de Gallo/salsa
Why eat plain tostones when you can make this simple, delicious side for them.
For this side, you will need cilantro, onions, tomatoes, canned corn, canned jalapeños, lime, and salt.
Chop cilantro, onions, tomatoes, and canned jalapeños. Then add a whole can of corn. Squeeze half a lime and sprinkle salt. Watch the video for a more detailed explanation.
Just like that! You have your tostones with a pico side.
Fried Plantains (tostones de platano verde)
Equipment
- frying pan
- knife
- fork
- plate
Ingredients
- 2 whole green plantains *not green bananas
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 can whole kernel corn
- 1 tomato
- 2 tbsp nacho-style jalapeños
- 1 whole onion
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 1-2 lime juice
- salt
Instructions
Tostones (Green Fried Plantains)
- Peel the green plantains
- Slice green plantains in 1 inch slices
- Add about a cup of oil to a frying pan and heat the oil. Or enough to cover sliced plantains at least half and inch.
- Place the sliced green plantains in the hot oil and let them fry for about 2 minutes on each side, or until a fork can be inserted through them
- Remove from oil and place plantains in a flat plate. Do not turn off the stove.
- Smash the plantains into half-inch or less rounds
- Place smashed plantains back in oil. Fry for about a minute or so on each side, until you see oil bubbling through middle of plantain rounds.
- Remove fried plantains from oil and turn stove off.
- Place fried plantains in a paper towel covered plate
- Sprinkle tostones with salt
Pico de Gallo Salsa
- Chop cilantro
- Cut onion and tomatoes into small cubes
- Chop jalapeños into small pieces
- Place previous ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Add the canned corn
- Squeeze about half a lime juice
- Sprinkle salt
- Mix well and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post. If you did, please share with your friends so they can also try this simple, Caribbean staple.
You can use this recipe for your family dinner, or at your next party.
I will see you next time, but for now… stay sabroso.
Sincerely,
