When I was recording with my band the other weekend we took a break from perfecting our instrumental tracks to get lunch at the Dominican restaurant next to the studio. Without hesitation I ordered a side of tostones, twice friend green plantains. It’s been a long time since I’ve made them, but they are one of my favorite snacks, sweet, crunchy and a little bit chewy, topped with salt and sweet/hot sauce, they are a snacking sensation.
- Ripe and green plantains
The other day I was wandering through our local Keyfood, (not normally worth writing about, but a neighbor told me her best friends parents met there and I don’t think it’s been renovated since that time) to pick up a few baking essentials when, in passing the produce aisle, I saw a whole pile of green plantains, with a hand written sign that read “3/$1.” So I grabbed three, and I was ready for a fun Saturday night of frying.
Tostones on their second frying
Tostones are ridiculously easy to make, you just have to tolerate a little frying. The key to Tostones is that they are friend twice- you fry them, squish them, and fry them again. When they are just out of the pan salt them, let them cool a little, and eat them with banana ketchup or hot sauce. I had mine with the “Exciter” hot sauce that SMH made a few weeks ago. We’ll be blogging about that soon, but for now, enjoy your mid-winter snack!
Tostones fried once, left; friend twice, right.
Tostones (Twice Friend Green Plantains)
3 Green Plantains, Peeled and Cut Into Rounds
Vegetable oil for frying
Place the plantains in the hot oil (careful!) and fry until golden.
Place on a plate with a paper towel absorb the extra oil and squish gently with the black of a metal spoon or other flat implement.
Change the oil in the pan (if you don’t your tostones will taste like overly fried old oil, yuck!) and fry again until deep gold.
Remove from pan with tongs, place on paper towel lined plate, salt, cool slightly and enjoy with banana ketchup or hot sauce (or both!)
Tostones and hot sauce, a perfect winter snack!
