Plantains

[karadekoolaid Profile]

All across the Caribbean, in South and Central America and in Mexico, plantains are a staple food, and are also common in many other tropical countries.They are rich in carbs and fibre and also in Vitamins A,C, B-6, as well as being a good source for potassium and magnesium.
If you´ve seen them in local markets, you might be curious as to why there are green, yellow and even blackened plantains on the stands. That´s because they´re cooked differently; a green plantain may end up as a deep-fried plantain chip; a yellow plantain would be good for making plantain slices, or for adding to a soup, or for baking, and a blackened, overripe plantain would be good for baking with some white cheese on top, or for making a savoury plantain cake.
Plantains, unlike bananas, are always cooked. They´re pretty vile raw.
In Venezuela and Colombia one of the favourite preparations is "Tostones". Take a green plantain, peel it and cut into 1" thick rounds. Fry the rounds briefly in oil, then remove and cool. Now squash the plantain into a bigger round ( we use a plantain press(!) but a heavy pan would do) and fry again until they´re golden. Tostones are eaten as an accompaniment to meals or as the base, rather like a bruschetta or crostini, for other toppings. White cheese, tuna salad, seafood, pulled beef, etc. In Mexico, the mature plantains are an essential ingredient in many types of Mole. (not the animal, the sauce!).
Down south, a typical Sunday "stew" might be a Sancocho de Gallina (a sort of thin, chicken stew) with plantains, yams, cassava root, potatoes and coriander.

[scullion Profile]

i prefer them to bananas in the fact that they are less sweet.
they are courser and more 'floury' than bananas and really lend themselves to being fried.
i've only had them with jamaican food but i do like the sound of tostones - especially with cheese.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

I often buy bags of plantain chips to accompany chilli dishes.

Once in DC, at a food festival on the Mall, I had some food from an El Salvadorean takeaway stall. The one thing I can remember (it was the early 1980s) was platanos con frijoles - fried plantains with mashed beans.

a typical Sunday "stew" might be a Sancocho de Gallina (a sort of thin, chicken stew) with plantains, yams, cassava root, potatoes and coriander.

We had something similar in Colombia. Also a variation of it made with catfish rather than chicken. I've made the chicken version at home since, but not for a while.

[KeenCook2 Profile]

Fascinating KK! Thanks for the info! I have certainly never cooked a plantain and not knowingly eaten them unless possibly as plantain crisps/chips.

I'm sure that if I'd ever plucked up courage to go into one of the shops on North End Road that sells them and asked they'd probably have been very friendly and helpful

[ZeroCook Profile]

.

Tostones sound delicious, KKA. Sort of like a plantain rosti or latke. Might pick some up and try it out for a carb change. Sancocho de Gallina sounds really good and up my alley - care to expound?


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[smitch Profile]

This might be a stupid question, but do they taste anything like bananas? I absolutely hate bananas and it has always put me off trying plantain.

[Pepper Pig Profile]

Very, very interesting KK. Thank you.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Smitch
They don’t taste anything like bananas to me but I suppose it’s possible that the family resemblance might be more noticeable to a hater

Possibly worth trying a pack of savoury plantain crisps sometime

[smitch Profile]

Good idea, Sue. I’ll be brave next time I see a pack

[karadekoolaid Profile]

This might be a stupid question, but do they taste anything like bananas? I absolutely hate bananas and it has always put me off trying plantain.

They´re sweet, but no, they don´t taste like bananas to me.
Have a go at the tostones. Just buy one green plantain and see how it goes.

This looks pretty clear to me:
https://venezuelancooking.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/recipe-venezuelan-tostones/

[Badger's Mate Profile]

I'd go with the plaintain crisp/chip option, Smitch. They're the least like bananas texturally.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Good idea, Sue. I’ll be brave next time I see a pack

Good with beer

[Seatallan Profile]