Watch out, the Puerto Rican in me is finally coming out. Currently, I am double fried and totally smashed, hence the recipe. July has been a rather busy month. Between business meetings in tropical places and endless hours cataloging, re-organizing, writing, and distributing “old stuff”; I have been left with little time to rejoice.  The sun is shinning, and I am stuck indoors, again.

I don’t really like most Puerto Rican dishes. They are usually complicated and heavy. Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against the country’s cuisine. But because it is meat centric, I find it difficult to enjoy, and/or find something that fits my food routine. There are a couple thinks I like; tostones is one of them. Eaten everywhere, they are a staple at every restaurant and household.

As I motioned in my first post, the food I make is usually a hybrid; a mix of Latin flavors, north-eastern USA ingredients, and Italian influences. This recipe is all about the Latin-ness. There is no better way to showcase Latin cuisine than with plantains, the quintessential Puerto Rican ingredient. Oh so versatile! But like with everything else, it is best when eaten naked. A tostón is a double fried, smashed plantain. Eaten as a side, it goes with anything, really. (Maybe except pasta, but I think some people still do it.) Anyways, I hope making these transports you to a sunny Puerto Rican beach.

• 1 green plantain (yellow plantains are sweet)
• Vegetable oil (about ½ cup, depending on the size of you sauce pan)
• Salt

Chop both ends of the plantain off. Starting at the top, slice through the middle of plantains skin with a sharp knife. Peel skin off. Slice plantain into ¾ rounds. 

Pour oil into a small saucepan. Make sure there is at least an inch of oil in the pan; plantain rounds should be submerged in the oil when frying. Turn burner to medium, and let the oil heat for 5 minutes.

To test the oil’s heat, place one round in the oil. If it starts bubbling, it is ready! Otherwise, wait another couple of minutes for it to reach the appropriate temperature. Place half of the rounds in the oil, and cook. Here is when frying plantains becomes a science. Even though there is no suggested time for cooking the plantains, I will try to walk you through the technique. Feel the plantains consistency before frying. They should be hard. Cooking will soften them, and will become indicator of how cooked they are.  While frying the plantains you need to flip them once or twice. Make sure they do not burn. Poke the plantain round with a fork, and test its consistency. Once soft, remove from oil, and place in a paper towel. Remove all the rounds from the heat, one at a time, and then add the second batch. Once these are cooked and dried off, you are ready to smash. 

Puerto Ricans have designed an apparatus to specifically smash plantain rounds into tostones. If you don’t have one around (don’t buy one if you don’t) use the bottom of a small plate or a bowl to smash plantain with, against a cutting board.  This should be the fun part, so don’t worry about it being perfect. Just make sure that they are smashed thin, for a crispier tostón. Place smashed plantains back into the hot oil. While in the previous round of frying we were looking for the plantains to soften and cook, we now want them to turn crispy.  On medium heat cook the plantains until they develop a crispy skin. You can test this with your fork, as you flip them. Place on dry paper towel, sprinkle with salt. Devour immediately!

(i ate these with a roasted beet and sweet pea salad. coming soon!)