Patacones – Fried Green Plantains

Patacones or tostones can be described as chips made from green plantains. You will fry these beauties twice. They are often served as a side and are popular throughout Latin American. Especially countries close to the equator seem to love this little snack. Producing patacones is pretty straight forward, you will first peel, then slice green plantains and cook them in oil. Then they are smashed and fried a second time. The best part is to decide how to serve them, sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt and herbs or serve beside a dip or a nice salsa. Such a treat!

Plantains are super popular in the Latin American cuisine. But what is important to know is that they are treated differently depending on their level of ripeness. If they are green, they do contain a lot of starches and thus can be seen closer to potatoes. They will have a much more neutral flavor. When they are yellow or even black as pictured below, they will be used for desserts. For that reason we definitely need green plantains for this recipe. However, you will notice that peeling them is not as eas as a regular banana. You may need to use a knife and peel them just like potatoes. One trick I like to use it to first cut them in slices and then peel of the skin, check if this works for you.

Yellow or black plantains as pictured on the right on the picture above, are used for a different purpose. You may make a flatbread called arepa from it, or you may make some grilled banana boats. You may even try banana bread with ripe plantains. But let’s get back to the green ones: patacones or tostones are a perfect treat, either as a gluten-free snack or as a side. I was surprised how easy they are to make. They do taste best on the day made and will not be as crunchy after a while.

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Patacones - Fried Green Plantains

Prep Time: 10min – Cooking Time: 20min – Total Time: 30min

Patacones or tostones are fried green plantains and are served as a side or snack in all of Latin America.

Ingredients

• 2 green plantains, they have to be green
• Enough neutral oil for frying (about 1-2 liters)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lime
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• Coarse salt for sprinkling, chopped parsley

Instructions

1

In this reel you can see how I make them. Cut the plantains into 3-4cm slices with the skin still on. Then peel each individually. I find that easier than peeling the full plantain. Try to treat green plantains more like potatoes, you will realize that they are not as easy to peel as regular bananas. Sometimes it is possible to get your thumb under the skin and peel it off. Heat enough oil in a large frying oil to cover the plantain slices, then fry on medium to low heat for about 10 minutes or until plantains are soft. Take out and press down each with a plate or chopping board so that they are flat (see pictures).

2

Whisk together olive oil, lime juice and salt and the brush each flattened plantain with it on both sides. Fry on medium until crisp and browned on each side. Sprinkle with coarse salt and chopped parsely. Feel free to serve with a dip like guacamole or another salsa.