Viva Vegan!: 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers (27 page)

3. Any way you cut it, slide the slices into the hot oil and fry for 10 to 14 minutes, flipping a few times, until the
maduros
are golden-brown and caramelized. Do not overcrowd the pan. If you like, gently press down on the plantains when they’re very soft from cooking, to help them spread slightly and encourage further browning. Add a little more oil to your pan if
maduros
start to stick or don’t seem to be caramelizing enough.

4. To serve: slide the hot plantains directly onto a serving plate and sprinkle with a little lime juice or nothing at all. Draining fried sweet plantains is optional; I like them best when they’re just a little greasy, but you can always gently blot them with a paper towel, if desired.

•
Serves 4

•
Time: About 45 minutes

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

4 soft ripe plantains

 

½ cup walnuts
3 tablespoons brown sugar or freshly
grated
panela
(see page 214)
1¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste
3 tablespoons lime juice
Shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack
vegan cheese, preferably one that
melts (optional)

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a glass 7 by 11-inch baking pan and tear off a length of foil that can tightly cover the top of the pan. On a cutting board, slice both ends off a plantain and use a sharp paring knife to slice a shallow cut—just deep enough to slice through the skin only—from one end of the plantain to the other. Use your thumbs to peel off the skin, working your nail under the peel. Cut a slit down the center of each plantain, taking care not to slice entirely through.

2. Lightly spray or rub the outsides of the plantains with vegetable oil, place in the pan slit side up, tightly cover the top with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the foil.

3. While the plantains are roasting, pulse the walnuts, brown sugar, salt, and cayenne together in a food processor into fine crumbs. Divide the mixture equally and stuff it down the center of the roasted plantains. Sprinkle the lime juice on top of the filling and, if using vegan cheese, place a thin layer on top of the filling. Leaving the pan uncovered, bake it for 10 to 12 minutes, until the topping is browned. If desired, broil (on a low setting, if possible) for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, to further brown the top and help melt the vegan cheese if using, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn. 

 

Just Roasted Plantains

 

R
oasting ripe plantains is a great way to enjoy them without a drop of oil. Simply follow directions for roasting in Sweet and Nutty Roasted Plantains (page 115). Optionally, you can slice down the middle, fill with vegan cheese or a sprinkle of lime juice, and bake as directed. If desired, try broiling the fully cooked plantains for 4 to 6 minute to brown lightly, being careful not to overcook.

 

 

4. Serve immediately with an additional sprinkle of lime juice.

•
1 serving per fried plantain

•
Time: Less than 30 minutes, not including the optional soaking

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free

 

 

How to Crush a Tostone

 

T
here are many methods for crushing
tostones
for their second frying. The idea is to use a heavy, flat object to evenly apply enough pressure to the cooked plantain to flatten it, but not so much that it falls apart. Start with one end of the cooled fried plantain, slice it, then gently but firmly press enough to flatten it to about ½ inch thick without breaking it. Soup cans, large coffee cans, tortilla presses, even a rolling pin can work. There’s a special Latin kitchen tool called a
tostonera
that is designed just for this and does the job perfectly. They range from supercheap unfinished wood (very flimsy) to excellent-quality bamboo or plastic (pricey); but if you love
tostones
, you’ll love using a
tostonera
just as much (see Kitchen Tools, page 26).

 

 

Vegetable oil, such as peanut or high-heat
canola blend, for deep-frying
1 very green and firm plantain per
serving
Salt

 

1. Pour at least 2 inches of oil into a large, heavy pot (a cast-iron Dutch oven is ideal) and preheat over medium-high heat. Cover a large plate with paper towels or crumpled brown paper, for draining the hot
tostones
. The oil is hot enough when a very small piece of raw plantain placed in the hot oil immediately starts to bubble and fry rapidly and quickly; the idea is to use very hot (but never smoking) oil so that the
tostones
cook evenly without soaking up too much grease.

2. Use plantains that are deep green, very firm, and with no yellow spots. On a cutting board, use a sharp paring knife to slice both ends off a plantain and slice a shallow cut—just through the skin only—from one end of the plantain to the other. If the skin seems particularly hard, run another cut opposite the first. Use your thumbs or the edge of a butter knife to pry off the skin, working your fingers or the dull blade under the peel. Green plantain skins can be a little stubborn at times; if any tiny bits of peel remain, remove them.

3. Diagonally slice the plantain into 1½-inch-thick pieces. The greater the angle you slice, the longer and the bigger your final
tostones
will be. Slide into the hot oil and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping once. Remove from the oil and place on the paper-lined plate to drain for about 2 minutes. I usually fry one plantain at a time this way, putting in new slices while the formerly frying ones rest.

4. When the fried slices are just cool enough to handle (after 2 to 3 minutes), gently but firmly flatten them so that they are about ⅜ inch thick. See tip box above for suggested methods and tools. Use metal tongs to return the flattened plantains to the frying oil. Fry for another 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp along the edges. Return to the paper to drain, sprinkle the hot
tostones
with salt, and serve immediately.

•
Makes about 2 cups, ½ cup serving each

•
Time: Less than 15 minutes, not including preparing the
tostones

•
Gluten Free, Soy Free (if tofu omitted)