Fried Burro Plantains

Yesterday I went on a little walk over to the local Mexican grocery store, Palms Super Market, just to look around. They always have a lot of fresh exotic produce and I enjoy spending close to an hour walking about the store, looking at all the strange fruits and vegetables, and googling them on my phone to find out what they are. This time they had a wide variety of plantains, and one in particular caught my eye. Maybe it was because of the name, or perhaps it was because they were the strangest-looking, but I felt a connection to these Burro Plantains so I picked up a bushel and took them home with me. Plantains can be kind of intimidating-looking because of how thick the peels are, but I have another tutorial video in this post showing how to peel them and then cut them properly for the recipe. I'd never made fried plantains before, but I'd had them at Cuban and Brazilian restaurants and sweet Lord, they're delicious. So I tried making them today, and I am happy to say they came out very, very well! It was really simple and easy, and required very few ingredients, which my pocketbook always appreciates. I made them two different ways, sweet and savory. Hope you enjoy them!

 Click Here For Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Bushel Burro Plantains (about 8 individual plantains)

2 Cups Vegetable Oil

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Wash the outside of the plantains and remove them from the bushel so that they are no longer attached to each other. Cut off the ends and then make two slices in the plantain from top to bottom, about 1/2 an inch apart. Use your finger to push underneath the cut peel strip and pull it away. Then use the opening to push your finger under the peel and then pull it away. Repeat this process until all of the plantains have been peeled.

Cut the plantains in half lengthwise and then in half width-wise. Set them aside. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until it reaches 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Add enough plantains as can safely fit in the pan, (give each plantain an inch or two of space around it), and cook them for about 3-5 minutes, turning them over halfway through, or until they turn golden brown.

    

Remove them with a slatted spoon and place them on two different plates lined with paper towels. Sprinkle the salt and garlic powder over one plate and the cinnamon and sugar over the other plate. If you want it extra salty or sweet you can add more salt or sugar than just a teaspoon. Serve immediately.