Fried Plantains, the banana shaped fruit that amazes people at first bite, is one of my all-time favorite fried foods. The natural sugar that comes to life after frying this fruit taste good. The one question that I’ve been asked several times is, ‘How do you get the plantains to taste like that?’ Well, my usual answer is ancient Jamaican secret…Yah Mon! But seriously, there is no secret to making this snack treat.
Because plantains are great accompaniments to any many dishes, or can be eaten all by themselves, the choice lies in the ripeness when you choose this fruit. A fully ripe plantain is usually yellow with black spots…more black spots, more ripened. Now, if the plantain is completely black with no yellow that means it’s over ripe. And some people prefer over ripe plantains than the regular ‘fit’ yellow ones to make their dish.
However, in addition to being dangerous, overripe plantains are more difficult to handle for frying because the fruit is very soft and cumbersome when using a knife against the slimy innards. On the other hand, the ‘fit’ yellow plantains with a few black spots handle well with the knife and so this is my choice when selecting frying plantains.
Now, don’t think that frying is the only way to prepare plantains. So if you are not into fried foods and wish to stay away from this fare, you can also microwave, boil, or roast the plantains….they are just as good.
So I hope you’ll love this little recipe…
Ingredients:
2 Ripe Plantains
4oz. Vegetable Oil
Method:
Wash plantains in cold water to remove dirt from plantain.Using a sharp knife, make an incision along the entire length of the plantain.
Slide your first finger along the incision and remove the skin.
Place the fruit on a cutting board and cut it into ¼ inch pieces at a 45 degree angle. Heat oil on high, and then reduce heat to medium.
Carefully place plantain pieces into the warm oil. Let the pieces fry until they turn light brown around the edges. Turn the plantain pieces on their opposite side as soon as the edges turn brown.
Fry plantains for one minute more. Remove from skillet, place on paper towel and allow oil to drain.
Serve as snack or side dish with any main entrée.
YAH MON!!
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