Tostones are double-fried plantain slices served with salt, cheese, dipping sauce, or pickled pepper concoction. They are a delicacy in Central and South America and the Caribbean islands, known as banan peze in Haiti and patacones in South America. The recipe remains the same in any culture.
Tostones are sliced plantains that are double-fried and served with salt, cheese, a dipping sauce, or pickled pepper concoction. They are a delicacy in many Central and South American countries as well as the Caribbean islands. Haitians call them banan peze and in South America they are also known as patacones. Some West African countries also serve toasted sandwiches under the name of plantain chips. No matter what the name, the recipe remains basically the same in any culture.
To make toasted bread, an unripe plantain is peeled, then sliced. The slices can be short, 1-inch (2.54 cm) strips, or they can be cut diagonally or lengthwise. Then the slices are dropped into some kind of cooking oil. They are fried on each side for a couple of minutes.
Once fried once per side, they are removed from the oil and mashed. This can be done with any kitchen utensil, but it’s common to find a tostonera, which is a utensil specially designed for tostones. This step can also be done with a glass or small plate. They should be flattened to about 0.84cm high.
After they are mashed, they are fried once more on each side until golden brown. The slices are then removed from the oil, drained and served. Some cultures will soak them in salt water for about an hour before drying and frying them.
When the tostones are ready, they will be golden and crisp. They are often salted and eaten like chips. Tostones are often served hot with a mojo sauce, which is a garlicky sauce used for dipping. Haitians will sometimes serve them with a traditional pickled pepper relish called pikliz or alongside griot, which is fried pork. They can also be topped with melted cheese as an appetizer.
While there is no botanical difference between a banana and a plantain, plantains are typically less sweet than the bananas people typically eat, which are sometimes referred to as dessert bananas. They are still green and firm when they are peeled, cut and fried to make toasted bread. The word banana has become associated with a ripe, soft, sweet fruit, rather than the unripe, harder banana tree.
The word tostones comes from the Spanish verb tostar, which translates to the verb toast. The dish is known as tostones in countries such as Nicaragua, Honduras, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. It is known as patacones in Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Venezuela and Colombia.
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