Tostones are twice fried unripened plantains which originated in the Caribbean. Depending on where you eat them (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, etc) the servings styles vary greatly. What I mean by this is the tostones will accompany a variety of salsas, dips, or ceviche. Eating these with ceviche is personally one of my favorite ways of eating them, but if you do not like ceviche try this avocado mango salsa instead.
Ingredients
Tostones
- 4 cups coconut oil
- 4 green plantains (around 2 pounds)
- kosher salt
Avocado Mango Salsa
- 2 cups diced ripe mango (about 2 mangos)
- 1 cup diced Hass avocado (1 medium avocado)
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- big pinch of kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Juice from 1 lime
Directions
- Cut the ends off the plantains. Use a sharp knife to cut a shallow line down the length of each plantain, making sure you don’t cut into the fruit. Then, slice each plantain into three or four even pieces.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until it reaches 325˚F. When the oil reaches 325˚ F, carefully lower the plantains into the shimmering fat. Fry the plantain pieces for 3 to 5 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they turn golden yellow. Transfer the fried plantains to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain off any excess oil.
- Place a fried plantain between two pieces of parchment paper. Smash it with a meat mallet, tortilla press, or a small cast iron skillet until you end up with about ¼-inch thick plantain patty. Repeat on the remaining plantains.
- Bring the temperature of the fat up to 350˚ F, and fry the plantain pancakes in the oil until crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the oil: fry about two to three smashed plantains at a time.
- Transfer the fried plantains to a metal cooling rack and repeat the steps above with the rest of the batch. Lightly sprinkle kosher salt on each toston.
Avocado Mango Salsa:
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Dice two ripe mangos. Place the diced mango in a bowl and add in the cubed avocado, diced onion, and 1/4 minced cilantro.
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Pour in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and lime juice.
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Gently toss the ingredients together for about 30 seconds. To serve pour some of the salsa into a small bowl, on a plate. Place the tostones around the bowl and enjoy.
Recipe source: Nom Nom Paleo
Photo source: Gaby Dalkin-What’s Gabby Cooking
