July 16, 2019

Sweet Fried Plantains

Name: Sweet Fried Plantains
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 ripe plantains; oil for frying (canola or avocado works well); Kosher or sea salt (optional)

No matter how you pronounce it, plantains are a delicious staple in many Caribbean, African and South American kitchens. These ripe plantains come out tasting so sweet and delicious once prepared, and can wonderfully accompany a variety of dishes.

Now You're Cooking - Sweet Fried Plantains — You can sprinkle plantains with a little bit of salt, or even some cinnamon, while they’re hot from the frying pan.

This “recipe” (if you can call it that) is so simple, that there’s basically only one ingredient: ripe plantains. Although there are a multitude of ways to cook this fruit, one of my favourites will always be to simply fry them in a pan.

This member of the banana family has a lot more starch than it’s cousins, so in many dishes it’s used more like a vegetable (while the skin is on the greener side) than a fruit. They are also larger than bananas with a thicker skin, so it may take a bit of practice to peel properly.

They key to this recipe is to use plantains that are very ripe. You’re looking for a yellow colour with lots of black areas. The blacker the plantain, the sweeter it is as the starch converts to sugar. In general, plantains are also pretty healthy, including being a source for a good amount of fibre, potassium and vitamin C.

In Caribbean dishes, plantains are usually served as a side to the main course. A word of warning: you might want to double this recipe, because I doubt you can stop yourself from eating any more of this tasty snack!

Monique Creary

Serves 4

Sweet Fried Plantains

5 minPrep Time

10 minCook Time

15 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

2 ripe plantains

oil for frying (canola or avocado works well)

Kosher or sea salt (optional)

Directions

Using a knife, cut off each end of the plantain. Carefully slice the skin along one of the ridges and peel back.
To cut the plantain: Slice into 1-inch diagonal rounds, or cut the plantain in half and slice lengthwise (about 1/2").
Over medium-high, heat enough oil in a large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry sliced plantain in batches, turning once with a spatula or fork, for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden-brown in colour. Reduce heat to medium if necessary.
Remove plantains and placed on a tray lined with paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Season with salt, if desired. Serve warm.

Notes

Cook time varies depending on the thickness of your plantain slices and the heat of the oil. If you find your plantains are burning too quickly, reduce the heat a bit. If you made thinner slices, reduce the cooking time.