Today I planted another popoulu plantain. These things just keep giving and giving. We recently learned how to make authentic Puerto Rican style tostones from Daniel. I can’t believe how easy it is to make them and they are so awesome…
First, you peel and slice green plantains to about 3/4 inch slices. Fry the slices in an inch of oil in the pan for a few minutes. Place the fried slices on a plate to cool them down for a minute. Then place a slice on a cutting board and use a clean small plate to press onto the fried plantain. You basically smash it so that it gets stuck to the bottom of the plate. Use a metal spatula to scrape off the flat piece of plantain and fry this one more time until it’s nice and crispy all around. Keep smashing and frying and put these twice fried tostones on a plate with a paper towel to absorb the oil. Sprinkle some salt on it while it’s hot.
The tostones should be enjoyed freshly fried while they are crispy and crunchy on the outside and hot and fluffy inside. The best part is that you can freeze the smashed once fried plantains and keep them in the freezer to fry later. Apparently you they do the same thing with breadfruit too! I wish we had time to learn how to make mofongo, another traditional PR dish.
Originally posted on 2021-12-17, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.