Puerto Rican Tostones Recipe
Plantains, native to Southeast Asia, were introduced to the Caribbean in the early 16th century. They easily adapted to the region’s tropical environment and rapidly dispersed throughout Puerto Rico, quickly becoming a staple in the diet.
Throughout the years, numerous dishes have been created using these starchy fruits making plátanos synonymous with Puerto Rican cuisine. There are two “variations” of this fruit: the green (unripe and savory) plantain and the yellow/black-spotted (ripe and sweet) plantain. Today, we will dive into the world of green plantains starting with a recipe for tostones, twice-fried fritters that are a favorite side. Stay tuned for future posts about arañitas and mofongo.
Cut and discard the ends of the plantain.
Make two to three long cuts – this will help with peeling. (See note below).
Remove the outer layer.
Cut into 1-inch thick pieces.
Fry the plantains – make sure the oil hot!
Carefully remove from the pan and dab with paper towel to remove excess oil.
Use a ‘tostonera’ to smash your plantains – a can works fine too.
Fry them again!
Remove from oil, dab with paper towel, top with sea salt and enjoy!
Tostones
As a kid, my grandma would make “picadillo” (ground beef) with tostones for dinner and it became one of my favorite meals. – Chef Daniela Sofía
Ingredients:
- 1” slices of Green Plantains
- Oil for Frying
- Salt
Note:
To peel a plantain, cut both ends and make 2-3 scores on the skin lengthwise. With your fingers or carefully using a butter knife, peel the skin off the plantain. Once all the skin is removed, you are ready to cut the plantain in 1” slices (the width depends on how thin/crispy you want the end product; the thinner the slice, the crispier the result). Now you are ready to get started!
Directions:
- Deep fry the 1” slices of plantains until they are golden on the outside and tender on the inside (about 5-8 minutes). Don’t crowd the pan – do separate batches if necessary.
- Remove plantains from oil, place them on a small cutting board and with a tostonera (can or other board) press down each piece individually until the plantain is about ¼” thick. Note: if the plantain is sticking to the surface, apply some oil to the tostonera/board before pressing down.
- If not using right away or if you’ve made extra, let the tostones cool down, store in a container and freeze them.
- To finish the tostones, fry them for a second time until nice and crispy on the edges (3-4 minutes), remove and finish with some salt. You may fry them frozen and there is no need to let them thaw!
We hope you enjoyed this recipe and do let us know your feedback, we’d love to see your pictures too so tag us on social media. Stay tuned for more plantain recipes!
Recipe By Chef Daniela Sofía Rivera
Photographs by Gustavo Antonetti