I cannot believe it has taken me so long to make tostones at home, but I finally got around to it.
Tostones are twice fried plantain slices that are extremely popular side dish here in Puerto Rico and many other Caribbean Countries.
To make tostones you will need:
- Several green (unripe) plantains
- Oil (vegetable, corn or whichever you prefer) for frying
- Sharp knife
- Tostonera (a wooden press specifically designed to make tostones) or if you are like me, you could use a can or your hand)
My method:
- Heat the oil to around 325C
- Use the sharp knife to cut off the ends of the plantain and slit the peel lengthways, only going as deep as the thickness of the peel
- Remove the peel, it may or may not come off in one piece. Use the knife to remove any peel pieces that are remaining
- Cut the peeled plantains into 3/4 – 1 inch chunks (if the oil is not ready, place the plantain pieces into cold water to prevent discoloration)
- Once the oil is at the correct temperature, add the plantain pieces and fry for about 3 minutes
Note: if you do not have a thermometer, check the oil temperature with a small piece of plantain. If the oil does not bubble when the plantain is added the temperature is too low, if it smokes the temperature is too high
- After 3 minutes remove the plantain pieces from the oil and allow to drain. Keep the oil at around 350C for the second frying
- Once they are cool enough to handle it is time to make the tostones. If you are using a tostonera, place the plantain pieces into the tostonera and press out the slices or,
place the plantain pieces between wax paper and press out the slices using a can or your hand. - Once you have your tostones flattened, it is time to fry them again (twice fried plantains). Place the tostones in the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes until they are crisp and golden brown
- Remove from the oil, drain and season with salt
The tostones should be crisp on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside
Here in Puerto Rico, tostones are usually served with MayoKetchup as a side dish or they are pressed into small cup shapes and filled with various fillings and served as an appertizer.
Pretty simple and really tasty, go on, give it a go…
