Recipe#11263

Title: Plantains 01

From: beatbr00 beatbr00@dons.ac.usfca.EDU 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes 
 Subject: COLLECTION (4) Plantains 
 Date: 31 May 1995 05:37:27 -0600 
 Message-ID: <9505251744.AA13544@Rt66.com> 

        Fried Plantains
 Green Plantains with no yellow streaks, 1 per serving
 Oil for frying
 Salt
 Peel the plantain. The easy way to do this is to score the plantain
 lenghtwise. Cut off both ends. Using the tip of the knife to get you
 started, peel back a corner. Then run your thumb and forefinger along the
 scoring line and peel back. Thinly slice the plantain into rounds having a
 thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Fry in hot oil until golden brown.
 Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
 These are more work but the flavor is worth the extra effort.
         Patacones (Panamanian Style)
 Green plantains with no yellow streaks, 1 per serving
 Oil for frying
 Small bowl of warm salted water
 Peel the plantain by scoring the peel. Slice into thick rounds of 1/2 to
 3/4 inch thick. Place about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil in your frying pan.
 Lightly fry the plantains until they just change color, turning them over
 once. Place in the bowl of salted water to soak while you fry the rest of
 the plantains.  After the plantains have soaked in the salted water, pound
 them lightly with a meat tenderizer until slightly flattened. Fry again in
 oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and salt to taste.
 The following is a peasant dish from the Dominican Republic.
         Mashed Plantains Dominican Style
 2 green plantains
 Butter
 Salt
 Olive oil
 1/2 medium chopped onion
 1/2 medium green pepper chopped
 1 clove garlic finely minced
 1   tomato chopped
 salt and pepper to taste
 1 -2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
 2 poached or fried eggs
 Peel the plantains. Cut crosswise into 3 pieces. Place in a saucepan and
 cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender
 about 30 minutes. When tender, remove to bowl and reserve the cooking
 water. Mash the plantains adding butter to taste and using the reserved
 cooking water to get a nice consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
 Keep warm. Meanwhile, heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan.
 Saute the onions, green pepper, and garlic until tender. Add salt and
 pepper to taste. When the vegetables are tender, remove from heat and stir
 in the red wine vinegar. To serve, place one half the mashed plantain on
 the plate. Spoon 1/2 the sauteed onion mixture on top of the plantains.
 Place the poached egg on top. 
 Makes 2 generous servings
 Variation:  The sauteed onion mixture can be mixed into the mashed
 plantains.
 When your plantains have ripened, use the following recipe.
         Sweet Plantains
 Ripe plantains--yellow ones with long black streaks, 1 per serving
 Brown sugar, about 1/8 to 1/4 cup per serving
 Butter, 2 tablespoons per serving
 Cinnamon, a generous sprinkle
 Peel the plantain. Cut lengthwise into 2 pieces or crosswise into serving
 size portions. Melt some butter in a frying pan. Lightly fry until
 slightly browned. Place in a buttered dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and
 cinnamon. Dot with butter. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake until
 tender about 30 minutes.
 Variation:  After browning the plantains, place in squares of aluminum
 foil. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and dot with butter. Seal the
 foil and bake in 350 degree oven about 30 minutes.
 Variation:  After browning the plantains, arrange nicely in the frying
 pan. Add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup water. Sprinkle with brown sugar and
 cinnamon. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat about 30 minutes or until
 fork tender.