My goal shall now be to post a recipe using platanos every day until I use them all. All 125 pounds of them. Most often, I simply boil or fry the platanos; which becomes an addition to some type of meal.
The question you may have is which ones do you boil and which ones do you fry? Today we will start with fried platanos. After doing this a number of times, I know the outcome of combining platano bellaco with hot oil...something delicious!
If you choose to fry the brown-spotted-yellow platano bellaco, you will have a sweet, sticky, oil laden banana. Some enjoy and prefer this, and at times I do as well. But typically, I prefer the green platano bellaco because the outcome is more starchy, less oily, and only a hint of sweetness.
How do you peel the platano bellaco? I cut off both ends and then make a cut in the skin from top to bottom. I then insert the bottom of the blade (no the tip) into the slit and bit by bit separate the skin from the platano. Ideally, the skin could be peeled quickly and in one large, rather square piece. That doesn't always happen in my kitchen.
How do you cut the platano to fry it? Really, this is just based on personal preference. I used to cut small disc like slices. Once fried, they were delicious. Now I have a habit of cutting the platano in half, following by 3 lengthwise cuts on both halves, resulting in 8 finger-length pieces that should be fairly equal in thickness.
How do you fry the platano? After heating up the oil (I use sunflower), I place the pieces in one by one, making sure that none are overlapping. Check to see if the pieces begin to brown and turn them over carefully once they are golden in color. After both sides are golden, it can be removed to a paper-towel-lined plate so some of the extra oil is absorbed. At this point, I typically sprinkle a bit of salt on the platanos (if I started with the green ones!).
What do you serve this with? Anything you want...breakfast, lunch and dinner! This is great with stews like Indian Chicken Curry, Peruvian Spiced Lentils, or Chicken Chickpea Tagine.
Friday, November 02, 2007
A Banana A Day
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4 comments:
125 pounds!!! Wow. I don't have anything in that amount.
Very interesting. Wish I could try it.
BC - The pile is overwhelming but I am chipping away at it bit by bit!!
Kalyn - I hope you get a chance to find "plantains" at some point so you too can try some of these yummy recipes!
I absolutely adore plantains. I can't wait to see what you're going to do with 125 pounds of them...and to replicate some of your creations.
Any advice on how to select the best ones at the market?
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