I love being Puerto Rican. Seriously, what’s not to love? We’ve got:
- Great music (Salsa music…you’re welcome!)
- A gorgeous island (they don’t call La Isla Del Encanto AKA “The Island of Enchantment” for nothing)
- Sexy people (Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and five Miss Universe winners)
- Ridiculously good food (see delicious Puerto Rican recipes).
I think being Puerto Rican genetically predisposed me to being attracted to all things delicious. One of those delicious things I just can’t get enough of are tostones (twice fried plantains). Yes, they’re as decadent as they sound. Puerto Ricans aren’t known to be subtle creatures. When we decide to do something, we do it all the way. If you’re gonna fry something, don’t just fry it once. That’s amateur stuff.
If you’ve had tostones, you know exactly why these crunchy golden discs are so damn good. If you haven’t, it’s time to satisfy your curiosity, crack open a plantain, and realize just what you’ve been missing.
Avocado or olive oil, for frying
Tostonera (plantain press) OR small pan or plate
Kosher salt
Mayoketchup Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons ketchup
1 clove fresh garlic, grated or minced
First, if you’ve never peeled a plantain, check out my post on making plantain cups.
Once the plantains are peeled, cut them into 2 inch long chunks and place them into a bowl of cold salted water. This will prevent them from turning brown.
Add about 1″ of oil to a pan, and heat it to medium heat. Drain the plantains well, then slide them into the preheated oil (be careful, they may spatter a bit).
Fry the plantain chunks on all sides, until they’re tender in the middle (about 5-7 minutes). You’ll know if they’re cook through if you can slide a toothpick into the center with no resistance. Drain the plantains on a paper towel.
Now, pull out your fancy tostonera (a must-have in all Puerto Rican households), or a small pan or plate, and press each plantain chunk…
…until it’s a flat disc that about 1/4″ thick.
Once all the tostones are formed, pop them back into the oil, and fry them for 3-4 minutes more, flipping once, until they’re golden and crispy on both sides.
Drain the tostones on paper towels, then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt while they’re still hot.
Mix up the mayoketchup by combining the mayo, ketchup and garlic, then proceed to dip the tostones to your heart’s content.
- 3-4 green plantains
- Avocado or olive oil, for frying
- Tostonera (plantain press) OR small pan or plate
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2-3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 clove fresh garlic, grated or minced
- Peel the plantains, then cut them into 2 inch long chunks and place them into a bowl of cold salted water. This will prevent them from turning brown.
- Add about 1" of oil to a pan, and heat it to medium heat. Drain the plantains well, then slide them into the preheated oil (be careful, they may spatter a bit).
- Fry the plantain chunks on all sides, until they're tender in the middle (about 5-7 minutes). You'll know if they're cook through if you can slide a toothpick into the center with no resistance. Drain the plantains on a paper towel.
- Use a tostonera, a small pan or a small plate to press each plantain chunk until it's a flat disc that's about ¼" thick.
- Once all the tostones are formed, pop them back into the oil, and fry them for 3-4 minutes more, flipping once, until they're golden and crispy on both sides.
- Drain the tostones on paper towels, then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt while they're still hot.
- Mix up the mayoketchup by combining the mayo, ketchup and garlic.
- Serve the tostones warm with the mayoketchup dipping sauce.