This is the best way I know to prepare ripe plantains, a classic Caribbean dish that is served with Crock-Pot Cuban Ropa Vieja (page 113). Ripe plantains are so sweet that they can actually be prepared this way and served over vanilla ice cream. But don’t let that sweetness intimidate you. Sweet often complements savory, and these are especially wonderful with hearty stews and grilled red meat. If the plantains are very mushy, they’ll need to be sliced thicker and will cook faster because they have more sugars, which caramelize really quickly in the hot oil.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 to 6 servings

　　5 extremely ripe plantains (peels should be black with no yellow spots)

　　1/2 cup vegetable oil, or as needed

　　Kosher salt to taste

　　

Step 1

Working with one plantain at a time, use a sharp knife to cut off both ends. Run the tip of the knife down the full length of the plantain 2 or 3 times, cutting through the thick skin but not into the plantain. Work the peel off with your hands. Repeat with the remaining plantains. Slice the peeled plantains at a diagonal into thick slices.

　　

Step 2

Line a baking sheet or large platter with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmery and hot but not smoking. Add as many plantain slices as will fit without crowding and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so the oil is bubbling happily around the slices. Turn the slices over and cook until browned on the other side, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the paper towels to drain, and immediately sprinkle with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining slices until all are cooked and salted, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Serve hot.

　　

from aunt elsa’s kitchen

Step 3

It can be hard to find black plantains at the store, since once they’re black, they’re so ripe that they don’t have much shelf life left. It’s better to buy them when they’re still a little yellow and let them finish ripening at home. Placing them in a paper bag will speed up the process.

　　Eva's Kitchen