You may have know them as tostones, but in Panama (and a few other Latin American countries), we call them patacones. They are made with green plantains. A plantain looks very similar to a banana, except that you typically eat it cooked. It is a staple of many Latin cultures, and I usually prepare this dish once a week. You can also cook plantains when they are ripe, but that is a recipe for another Sunday. Ingredients
- 1 green plantain
- Enough vegetable or canola oil to have a depth of about 2 inches in your pan
Preparation
Watch the video below for instructions on how to peel the green plantain. It is a bit tricky. While you are peeling the plantain, heat the oil over medium heat.
Once the plantain is peeled, cut the plantain into 1-inch rounds.
Once the oil is hot, place the plantains into the oil carefully. Cook the rounds for a few minutes, flipping once. You will take them out when they are a bright yellow (but not brown) color. Place them on paper towels or a paper bag to absorb the oil.
Take a glass with a flat bottom, and use the bottom to press down on the plantain until it is about a quarter of an inch thick. You may need to use a thin metal spatula to scrape the plantain off the glass.
Re-fry the plantains for a few minutes, turning once. Remove the plantains from the oil when they turn golden/JUST start to brown, and place them on paper towels or paper bags to absorb the oil. Serve them with salt and pepper.
You have to keep an eye on the ripeness of the plantain. The riper they are, the more sugar they will have, which means they will turn brown faster. This is ok, but it takes some practice to distinguish when they are turning brown because they are ripe versus turning brown because they are burning. Good luck!
