So last week when I was watching that new Cobra Kai series, there was a scene where the main character has a slight cultural misunderstanding about these tasty little treats. I got the joke but then I realized that a lot of you didn’t but laughed anyway.
So here’s the deal. Plantains are Bananas but they have more starch and less sugar than the typical Bananas you find at the store. This also means they’re a bit stiffer and can hold up to different cooking methods such as frying. I was lucky enough to enjoy these years ago when I was dating a chick from the Islands and they’re not only easy to make, they’re hard to stop eating.
The seasoning I use is not set in stone, feel free to adapt as you see fit, it just adds a nice little kick without overpowering the flavor.
Mise
- A Knife and board
- A large saute pan
- Tongs or a spatula
- Plate with a few paper towels
Ingredients
- Plantains
- Fat, I use bacon grease but you can keep it vegan and use whatever.
- Salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and brown sugar (you don’t need much)
Method of Preparation
- Peel and slice the Plantains, keep in mind that they’re not as easy to peel as sweet Bananas.
- Heat your fat or oil in the pan. You need a bit more than you think but you don’t want to drown them. Also, don’t let the oil smoke or you’ll burn the Plantains and possibly have a grease fire.
- Place the Plantains in the fat and cook for about two minutes on each side until golden brown and softish.
- Remove from the pan, place on the paper towels and season
- Serve ASAP.
Notes
- You can also deep fry these but when cooking at home, this method is a bit easier.
- Play with the seasonings and find what you like but try to keep in mind what you’re pairing these with.