Childhood memories

When it comes to remembering happy times growing up, I always think of my mom frying up a batch of patacones (fried green plantain). They were always a staple in our household and something we would have for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Never heard of them before? Plantains are a type of banana, but unlike the banana, plantains are cooked in a variety of ways. When green, they are not sweet, very starchy and excellent for frying. Think of treating them like you would a potato when their green.
If left to ripen, plantains become spotty and black, a sign that they have sweetened. At this state, their great baked with some brown sugar and cinnamon. They are much more versatile than the bananas you're probably used to. Plantains are also very nutritious. If you've seen them in your local grocery store, but wondered how to prepare them, then read on. I'm going to share with you a simple recipe for Panamanian-style patacones.

Patacones Panamanian-style

1 green plantain
Oil for frying
Salt for taste

1) First, peel the plantain by carefully slicing through its thick skin from end to end. I usually make the cut on the inside of the curve, but it really doesn't matter. Use the cut you made to gently pry the skin off. The cut makes it easier to peel. It may seem daunting, but peeling a plantain is really easy.
2) Cut the plantain into 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices as shown.
3) Heat some oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan. Use enough oil so that it comes halfway up the sides of the slices. Cook on one side until they start getting some color (maybe 1-3 minutes) and flip them. You don't want them getting dark, so keep an eye on them.
4) Once they've gotten slightly golden on both sides, pull them out of the oil and place on some paper towel to soak up excess oil. You can see in the photo how they've turned from the pale color to a light gold color.
5) Using the bottom of a glass, gently smash the plantain as shown.
6) Return the plantains to the frying pan and continue to cook until the get dark golden brown. 7) Remove from pan and place on clean paper towel and salt as desired. Enjoy! They go great with salsa or a chimichurri :-)






See how golden they turn!






Salt them right away after pulling them out of the oil!