Tostones
Twice-fried green plantain (patacones in Colombia)
Tostones are the crisp golden discs of green plantain sold at every Cuban cafeteria and fried at home to go with rice, beans and mojo; along Colombia's coast and in Cali the same thing is called patacones and comes with hogao or ají on top. The plantain is fried once to soften, smashed flat, then fried again until the edges shatter while the middle stays starchy and tender. Eat them hot as a side or a snack. Chef's tip: use truly green, hard plantains; yellow ones turn sweet and soft and will never go crisp.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Peel 2 green plantains: trim both ends, slit the skin lengthwise along the ridges and prise it off with your thumb. Cut into 3 cm thick rounds.
Step 2: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a deep frying pan to 325°F over a medium heat, or until a piece of plantain bubbles gently, not furiously.
4 minStep 3: Fry the rounds in one layer, turning once, until pale gold and soft enough for a knife to slide in, 4–5 minutes. Lift onto kitchen paper.
5 minStep 4: While still warm, flatten each round to about 1 cm thick with the bottom of a heavy mug, a tostonera or a plate. If you like, dip each one quickly in 1 cup water and pat dry for extra flavour.
Step 5: Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the oil to 350°F. Fry the flattened tostones again until deep gold and crisp, with frilly edges that sound hard when tapped, 2–3 minutes per side. The common mistake is frying the second time in oil that's too cool, which makes them greasy and leathery.
6 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle at once with 1 tsp flaky sea salt and serve hot, with mojo criollo, hogao or ají picante for dipping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tostones take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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