Fried Plantains Panamanian Style

I am not a foodie, but sometimes I like to photograph food. We have the habit of eating healthy, but you know, occasionally we take a walk on the thin line. So, last night we had some fried food. That is correct, as we rarely consume fried food, none of us are affected by high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Plantain vs. Banana

Before venturing into the kitchen to make our delicious entrée, we must make sure we get the right stuff. The fact that Latin Americans name them differently is curious. People often refer to plantains as bananas or fried bananas in Europe.

Banana is a fruit, it is normally sweet, but even sweeter when ripe (high glycemic index!). A plantain, however, is a cousin of the banana. It is often treated as a vegetable because of its low sugar and high starch content. For starters, don't eat a raw plantain, despite its resemblance to their cousins. The plantain is even better than a potato, it is rich in vitamins (A, B-6 and C) as well as in minerals such as Magnesium (Mg) and Potassium (K). Better yet, plantains are a rich source of fiber.

Ingredients

• 2 Plantains
• Cooking oil
• Salt

And you will need a tool to squash the semi-fried plantains. We use one like this, but even the bottom of a bottle would do.

Preparation

In Panama, fried squashed plantains are called "Patacones". They are delicious when made properly. This is a typical side dish in Panamanian cuisine, but we added the sausage instead of cheese to melt on top. This time, we accompanied the dish with a "spiked" sangria I talked about in another article.

Latin-Americans will certainly recognize the plantains, and probably some people in Southeast Asia. However, what is this substance we refer to as "patacones"?

Meet the "Patacones"

No, these are not fried bananas (the fruit), they are fried plantains. So, let's make some!

First, take two green (or slightly less than green but not ripe!) plantains and peel them. Then cut them in cylindrical slices that are around 1 cm. thick and add salt to them. Although I have not tried it, I think it would be good with chili and salt.

Now put on the stove a medium frying pan with oil (about ½ cm. deep), enough to cover them. Then let the oil get hot.

Once the oil is hot, carefully lie the plantain slices into the frying oil. Be careful not to splash yourself with hot oil. You can accomplish this in batches, since timing is important.

This first phase is only for a short time, only a few minutes. When you observe their color change from white to yellow, it is imperative to remove them from the oil and place them on a napkin that will absorb the oil.

Once they are not too hot to handle, you take them one by one and squash them as thin as you can. You can use two pieces of hard wood, the bottom part of a bottle, or whatever you see fit. The important thing is that each "patacon" (plantain slice) is squashed and spread as you see them in the plate. They aren't completely cooked yet, but they should still feel soft.

We are not done yet! (a helping hand is good, like your wife, girlfriend, husband, boyfriend, etc.). It's time for the 2nd phase.

Now take each of the yellow squashed plantains, and throw them again into the hot oil. You might have let your helper squash the second batch while you squashed the first one.

At this point, you are going to fully fry the SQUASHED plantains. They will cook easier because you make them thin. The thinner, the better, but not too thin that they would break.

Toss them to the other side to achieve even cooking. When they start acquiring a GOLDEN color, golden but NOT burnt!, you take them out of the oil again and into a large towel paper where they should release the oil. You can use a paper towel on top to remove more oil. The objective is to appreciate the plantains flavor, rather than its oil.

Serve them on a plate while they are still warm or hot, but not dripping oil. They should preferably be somewhat crunchy but without oil.

We used sausage, but the fried plantains go really well with a slice (portion) of yellow cheese on top. Add some extra salt if you wish. Alternatively, pour some Ketchup, but I prefer cheese.

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