Tostones is a classic across Latin America and definitely a favorite of ours at The Woks of Life. These days, some takeout Chinese restaurants are actually serving up fried plantains on their menus.
They’ll slice the plantains, freeze them in single portions, and quickly drop them into a fryer when ordered. That’s a method you could potentially use at home too.
First thing to know, though, is that there are two kinds of plantains: sweet plantains and green plantains. You can use this method for either, but the green plantains are a bit more savory.
Today, we’re using green plantains, which go great with the Cuban Sandwiches we just posted!
This tostones recipe is really simple and has some good practical methods if you have never made it at home before so check it out and enjoy!
Tostones with Tomato Salsa: Recipe Instructions
Make the simple salsa by combining the tomato, garlic, olive oil, sun-dried tomato, cilantro and salt and pepper. You could do this in a food processor, a mortar and pestle, or just a bowl.
Heat the oil in a small, shallow skillet until it reaches 300 degrees F. Split the plantains lengthwise, being careful not to cut too deep. Peel off the thick outer skin, and slice the plantain into 3/4 inch thick discs.
Fry the plantain pieces in the oil for about about 3 minutes until they have a very light crust on them and are cooked through. You know they are cooked when they are easily smashed.
Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Clean the bottom of a can (we used a big 28 ounce of crushed tomatoes for this task). Take the plantains and flatten them into circles with the can. You know they are cooked when they are easily smashed.
The professionals at a local Chinese restaurant keep a cutting board next to the fryer, and use the broad side of a Chinese cleaver to smash them. It’s a simple yet amazingly speedy method, and they make a mean sauce to go with them. I’ve spoken to the proprietor, and they’ve apparently had training from a Peruvian chef (incidentally, they also make awesome rotisserie chickens to go with the fried plantains).
Once you’ve smashed all of the plantains…
Drop them back into the fryer for another 2 to 3 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
Drain on paper towels and sprinkle immediately with sea salt. Serve hot with your simple salsa! (And maybe a Cuban sandwich).
Recipe
Tostones with Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the simple salsa by combining the tomato, garlic, olive oil, sun-dried tomato, and salt and pepper. You could do this in a food processor, a mortar and pestle, or just a bowl.
- Heat the oil in a small, shallow skillet until it reaches 300 degrees F. Split the plantains lengthwise, being careful not to cut too deep. Peel off the thick outer skin, and slice the plantain into 3/4 inch thick discs.
- Fry the plantain pieces in the oil for about about 3 minutes until they have a very light crust on them and are cooked through. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Clean the bottom of a heavy can (we used a big 28 ounce of crushed tomatoes for this task). Take the plantains and flatten them into circles with the can. You know they are cooked when they are easily smashed.
- Once you've smashed all of the plantains, drop them back into the fryer for another 2 to 3 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle immediately with sea salt. Serve hot with your simple salsa! (And maybe a Cuban sandwich).
