Tostones and platanos maduros are dishes that automatically remind me of my childhood. We would visit my momo and popo (grandma and grandpa) for dinner and it was 100% guaranteed that I would have tostones and platanos maduros waiting for me. They are dishes that make me sentimental these days because I remember the love they showed us through these dishes.
Platanos maduros are the complete opposite of tostones. Tostones are a banana version of french fry and are made when a plantain is still green. Platanos maduros, on the other hand, are soft, very sweet, and are made when a plantain peel has turned black. I think it’s quite amazing how you can either get a savory or sweet dish from just waiting on the plantain's life span.
Regardless of its sweetness, platanos maduros are served as a side dish on your main plate and topped with a sprinkle of salt. Giving it that perfect sweet & salty balance!
INGREDIENTS
Plantain (wait until the plantain peel is black)
Olive oil
Salt
LET'S GET COOKING
You want to begin by peeling the peel of the plantain. You can do this by cutting both edges off and making a slit down the plantain peel.
Cut the plantain in half. Then, cut those two pieces in half. You can fry them as is or slice them again so that they are nice and thin (reference images).
Transfer the plantain to a medium pan with olive oil over medium heat. You want to place all of the plantain slices in the pan and allow them to fry until they are golden or they get a bit char (which is how I prefer them). Flip, until both sides are golden/char.
Once, they are ready you can transfer them to a plate, sprinkle some salt, and serve!
