How to Fry Plantains

Peruvian cooking has become one of the more popular new international cuisines. While a lot of people are eager to try some of these new recipes, they may be afraid of working with unfamiliar ingredients and cooking methods. But fear not! I'm here to hold your hand and help you through it. Your taste buds will thank you.

A staple of Peruvian diets is the plantain, or platano. There are many different types of platano available in Peru from the small, silky bizcocho to the larger, orange-fleshed platano isla. The typical American style of banana is called a platano de seda - silk plantain. My favorite cooking platano is the platano isla - it's very sweet when ripe, and has a firm flesh that holds together well when frying. I recommend asking at your local Latin market - they'll be happy to show you which plantains are best for cooking.

There are many different cooking styles for plantains - boiling, frying, and baking. If you've had fried plantains in a Cuban or Puerto Rican style restaurant, you probably had tostones - green platanos sliced in rounds, and fried. Then, they're flattened with a spoon and fried again, and finally sprinkled with salt. What is more popular here in Peru is a style called platanos maduros. It's a sweet dish made of very mature plantains

So, how do you cook them? Well, nothing could be simpler! All it takes is a large skillet, oil and very ripe plantains. The riper, the better - some people let them get completely black-skinned. I prefer them at the stage where they're starting to get some large black spots - I find it makes them easier to handle while frying. I use soybean oil for most of my cooking, but I think sunflower or peanut oil would work great, too. First, peel the plantains, and cut them length-wise in planks. If the fruit is very ripe, I'll just cut it once, in half. If it's a little firmer, I'll cut it in quarters. Add enough oil to your skillet to come halfway up the slices of plantain. Get the oil very hot, but not smoking and carefully put your sliced plantain in. When it starts to get a little brown around the edges, flip it over - I find it easiest to do with a fork. When both sides are brown and caramelized, take them out of the pan and drain them on brown paper or a paper towel. I prefer brown paper, because they tend to be a little sticky as they drain.

And that's it! They're delicious as a side dish, alongside rice and a fried egg. But I've also found they make a delicious desert, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. So don't be afraid to try this delicious Latin dessert. Peruvian fried plantains are well worth the effort.