Patacones, or how I learned to love plantains.

Today like many other days I had little to no time to cook.  With days like this generally speaking I order something.  Pizza, Chinese, hot wings, anything to make me think of one thing less.

This isn't even all of us.

Sometimes funds are low and ordering a pizza is just out of the question.  The dollar menu only feeds one, and not well at that.  So what do you do when you have a troop of growing boys and girl.  Especially when half of those kids are at an age when everything is gross.

Plantains.

I grew up in Florida and Panama, both climates are relatively similar.   Abundant with bananas, mangoes, and plantains.  Unlike the first two,  you can't eat a plantain right off the tree.  Nor would you want to.  With a little bit of oil and salt though you can make something as satisfying as a fresh basket of fries.

And it's quick and easy. 

For real.

Ok, you need a knife. 

Plantains look like bananas, and indeed many times unripe bananas can be mislabeled and sold as their larger greener cousins.  The skin of the fruit is much thicker, not something you're going to be peeling and eating on your way to work. 

Anyway, find your plantain, and get your knife. 

You're going to want to cut from stem to stem.  Don't cut too deep, we're looking to take off the skin, not cause a murder.

Continue on all sides.  If you're a master knife person you can probably make one cut down the skin open the plantain like a book and take out the flesh easy.  I'm not that good, make a few more cuts and take off the the skin in pieces until you're left with a perfectly free plantain.

This whole process takes about 10 seconds if you're used to it.  My first time took me about a minute,  mostly because I'm scared of making a mess.  Don't be like me! It's easy and simple grab your knife, slice your plantain be perfect.  You can do it.

Now that we've liberated our plantain from the shackles of it's peel.  Lets make some Patacones.


Ingredients: 

• 1 - 3 plaintains
• oil for frying
• pinch of salt

Recipe: 

segmented 

1. Slice your plantains into segments generally an inch or so in thickness. 

2. Heat oil in a small pan, get it hot.  

I used regular vegetable oil

3. Lightly salt your sliced segments on both sides.  

4. Place in heated oil until starting to brown.  It is absolutely not necessary for them to cook very long. 

1 minute in

5. Remove from oil.

Therapeutic smashing

6. Once removed take each segment and smash.  They will flatten and look like the sun as drawn by a 4 year old.  

Again just a moment. 

7.  Fry again,  This time we want them to cook all the way, but since they've already been in the oil once this will also take very little time.  You want the edges to crisp.  

8. Remove from oil on to paper towel.  

9. Salt to taste one last time.

Tips:  

I find that it's always best to make 1 more plantain than you intended, believe me they go fast.  

Perfectly good with just ketchup.  But also perfectly good with just salt, or any sauce your heart desires.  

Patacones is just a regional variation of what Puerto Ricans call Tostones.  

Learning to love plantain opens up your taste buds to so many possibilities.  From Patacones you can move to mofongo, or alcapurrias.  Which means nothing to you now probably.  But we'll get there.  The recipe only calls for 1 plantain, but that barely feeds 1 person.  They're cheap and 3 can easily feed more.  Always do that.  You'll never be disappointed.