Tostones: Slap Some Oil On Those Bananas And Let's Have Some Fun... that's what she said

It's true.  Plantains taste exactly like bananas!  They not only have the same flavor, but the same texture.  I swear, take a bite... yum.  And even better, they peel easier than bananas!  PERFECT!

False.  Plantains taste like cardboard, have the texture of Styrofoam, and take way too much effort to peel.  So naturally, we should cook with them!  Why?  Because they cost 25 cents and I know how to make them taste delicious.  As does Puerto Rico.  And the Dominican.

How do we make them delicious you ask?  I see your question and I answer it with yet another question:  How do we make anything delicious?  We fry it!  Twice!  Let's get to it and double fry some bananas!

what we need...
2 plantains
Vegetable Oil (for frying)
Salt

how we use these things to make the banana's yucky, bland, and boring cousin fun and yummy...
1  In a skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium high heat.  Oil should be about an inch deep in the pan. 
2  While the oil is heating, peel the plantains by cutting through the skin from the top of the plantain to the bottom and chopping off both ends.  Peel away skin and chop the plantains, at an angle, into inch and a half chunks.  So that was a terrible description, and I'm sure you're confused as hell, so I'll show you a picture instead...
3  When the oil is hot, add the chunks of banana and fry, rotating often, until the plantains turn golden brown.  Remove them from the oil promptly (oooo fancy words) and strain on paper towel.  While the are still hot, use the bottom of a glass to mass each banana.  Rotating the cup clockwise, press down firmly until each piece of plantain becomes flattened, like a pancake.  Sprinkle each pancake with salt and add back to the hot oil.  
4  Fry each plantain piece, flipping once, for 1 - 2 minutes on each side, or until each piece becomes crisp and deep golden brown.  Remove from oil, strain and sprinkle with salt.  Serve immediately (or place on baking sheet in the oven at 350 to keep warm) with ketchup, siracha sauce, or tobasco sauce!  These go awesome with tacos, quesadillas, guacamole or cajun chicken.  


These, by the way, are called Tostones (it's Spanish so say it with a fancy Spanish accent).  They are absolutely amazing, superbly addictive, and cost 50 cents to make so I'm not positive why you're not making them yet...