Tostones are the Puerto Rican version of potato chips (albeit very thick ones!). They can generally be served with any meal (given that the meal has a side orders of rice and beans and is centered around a meat product — preferrably pork!). We’ve also served it as an appetizer that can be dipped in Salsa. Dominicans make a great “mojito” for dipping that is based on garlic, but I haven’t got a recipe for that yet.
3 green plantains
olie oil (or vegetable oil if you prefer)
Heat enough water to cover the plantains completely. Stop well short of boiling. Drop the plantains in the hot water and let sit for five minutes. This will soften the plantain peel and allow you to remove the peels with ease. Steven Cook (a chef from NY) taught me this trick and he said he learned it from old Dominican ladies. Nuff Said.
Slice the plantains into 1/2″ to 2″ chunks.
Fry chunks in heated olive oil. Here we are wavering from traditional methods as the locals would balk if anything other than vegetable oil is used. Use vegetable oil for extra taste.
Fry for a couple of minutes and flip. Note that you’re not trying to cook the plantains just yet, just get them softened up and started. Make sure to remove the plantains before they become browned (don’t worry, we will fry them again later to finish them off).
Squash the plantains gently into a silver dollar shape. I have broken many a wooden spoon on this process so be careful. If you have an “ethnic” section in your supermarket, you may try to find a “tostones maker” which is basically a two piece wooden device specifically designed for making tostones.
Return squashed plantains to the frying pan and finish them off. They are perfect when cooked to a gloden color. Try to avoid leaving them too long and having them turn into a dark brown color.
Additional note: you can have two rounds of tostones going (one in the fryer and another in squash mode) if you run a very efficient kitchen. I, for example, do not. Therefore whenever I try to cook two rounds at the same time I always burn a couple. Enjoy!

Posted by: admin