Shallow-frying the plantains at moderate heat and then lowering the temperature for the final duration lets them cook relatively slowly, giving the sugars plenty of time to caramelize and get extra sweet without giving the plantain a chance to dry out.
I picked up the nasty, black, almost-starting-to-shrivel things from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter and was about halfway to the garbage when I was stopped short by my wife's sudden and very loud cry:what are you doing?!
What do you mean, what am I doing, dear? I'm throwing out these rotten plantains that now look more like something produced by the dog than something we should be keeping in the good company of our perfectly respectable grapefruits and mangoes.
Wrong choice of words. My wife proceeded to explain to me just how carefully she had been coddling those plantains, waiting for days and days until they were atjustthe right level of blackness (that would be pitch black and right on the cusp of starting to shrivel) so that they would be of optimal sweetness when we finally fried them.
I'm glad she caught me when she did. As someone who loves a good salty-sweet snack, fried ripe plantains represent one of the pinnacles of the form.
Truth be told, I'd been enjoyingmaduros* ever since the first time her Aunt Gloria made them for us many years ago, though I never bothered to peek into her kitchen to see how she did it. Soft and tender with a lightly greasy exterior and a sweet, caramelized flavor, they don't have the crispness you may expect from a starchier fried food, but that's part of their appeal.
*It literally means "mature(s)," and leads to humorous flubs in menu translations in Colombia
See, as plantains mature, their starches slowly convert into sugars and enzymatic reactions lead to the formation of many aromatic compounds that aren't present in their green or yellow forms. It's these starches that set up and give fried foods crispness. So while a fried green plantain (known in Colombia as apatacón) is extra crisp but relatively bland, a fried black plantain is packed with flavor with a softer, more custard-like texture.
Just like bananas, apples, and tomatoes, plantains ripen better at room temperature in a relatively enclosed environment, like in a bowl with other fruits, or inside a paper bag. Plantains give off ethylene gas, the natural trigger for ripening. The more concentrated that gas, the faster the fruit will ripen. From green to black, a plantain can take over a month to fully mature in a bowl. Put them in a paper bag and the time will be cut down to a matter of weeks or even days.
Luckily, most good Latin markets will sell plantains at a variety of maturity levels, so ripening need not take that long.
The trick to great maduros is to cook them relatively slowly, giving the sugars plenty of time to caramelize and get extra sweet without giving the plantain a chance to dry out. To do this, I shallow fry them, first starting in moderately hot oil and cooking them just long enough that they develop a thin pale golden brown pellicle on their exterior to keep them from sticking together. From there, I lower the heat and cook them slowly until deep brown and completely tender throughout.
Sprinkled with just a little salt, they are excellent as is, but if you want to go a little more balanced, a little more complex in your snacks (and who wouldn't?), they are miles better when some of that greasy, sweet-and-salty, custard-like flavor is cut with a sharp, acidic sauce. In my wife's aunt's place, that sauce would be a simple tomato and onionAjí, the Colombian equivalent of a Mexican salsa. But [shhhh...] I secretly prefer my plantains with a Puerto Rican-styleMojo, a parsley and garlic-flavored rough sauce very similar toItalian-Style Salsa Verde. Inthis version, I add a handful of mint leaves to the parsley for an added dimension.
2largeripe (black, see note) plantains, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch disks on a slight bias
Kosher salt
1recipemint mojoorColombian-style ají
Directions
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the plantains in a single layer (the oil should come at least half way up their sides. If not, add more oil). Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until lightly golden brown on first side, about 2 minutes. Cook second side until light golden brown, about 1 minute longer. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until dark golden brown and caramelized, about 4 minutes longer.
Transfer plantains to paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon or spatula. Flip a few times to drain completely, then season immediately with salt. Serve immediately with Mint Mojo or Ají on the side.
Special Equipment
12-inch non-stick or cast iron skillet
Notes
Ripe plantains will be completely black—almost to the degree that you think you need to throw them out.
Read More
Mint Mojo (Puerto Rican-style Garlic Sauce with Mint)
The difference is in the stage of ripeness and the cooking method. Since ripe plantains are softer, frying them once is enough to get them perfectly crispy and tender. Tostones are flattened, crispier, and less sweet, while maduros are softer, sweeter, and not flattened.
The first answer part of the answer is this: They wait until the plantains are really, really ripe. Plantains, like bananas, start out very firm and ripe and slowly turn yellow and then brown. When you want to make plátanos maduros, you need to wait until they are fully brown.
Soak green plantains before frying them to keep the fruit from oxidizing quickly. As soon as you slice the green plantains, put them in a little salt water to keep the plantains from turning brown; it also helps season them.
Cook Plantains On Lower Heat To Ensure No Burnt Flavor
The fruit needs only a few minutes on each side until the outside hits an appealing golden-brown color. Anything darker and the result will be too dry; anything less, and the plantains will remain hard.
But since fried plantains are usually fried in lots of oil, the amount of added fat (and oftentimes salt) makes them a less healthy option than baked plantains, especially for people who are watching their fat and sodium intakes.
Because maduros are made with extra ripe plantains — after the starch has turned to sugar — there's really no comparison with the under-ripe green plantains of tostones.
Color of the peel is not always enough to tell a ripe plátano; it could be solid black but still not ripe enough (this will happen if you stored them in the fridge). If the plátano is not sweet enough on its own to eat it raw because it's too starchy, then it's not ripe no matter what it looks like.
If you think yours are too starchy then you're not letting them ripen enough, and they don't have enough sugars in them. Try putting them in a paper bag with an apple to speed the ripening process, and when the skin is completely black and the flesh is a bit soft, slice them 1/2 inch thick, and fry in hot oil.
Like bananas, plantains develop more sugar as time passes. For the sweetest maduros, use blackened plantains — they have the most sugar, and will yield a more caramelized result. If you can only find yellow ones at the store, buy them in advance and be prepared to wait over a week for them to fully ripen.
Olayinka explained that while you could salt them after they cook, she prefers to salt them beforehand because the plantains are stickier when they're raw. Thus, the flavor of the salt is much more likely to be infused into the plantains — allowing them to be as tasty as possible.
But since the unripe plantains don't taste like much on their own, soaking the slices in salt water will help draw out their subtle flavors. Soaking green plantains can also add moisture to the naturally dry starch and help the tostones to crisp up nicely when they're fried.
The darker/heavily spotted your plantains are, the sweeter they will be. Oil– I use vegetable oil for pan frying but any neutral oil will do the trick. Flavorless/neutral oils include canola, avocado, and grapeseed oil. While I grew up on frying them in oil, you can also fry plantains in butter as well!
The Right Pan—A ripe plantain has a high sugar content, and since sugar burns quickly and sticks, a nonstick skillet is the best choice for the job. Another benefit of using a nonstick skillet is that the cooked plantain will release easily from the pan.
However, unlike some other starchy fruits grown in tropical areas, there's no danger in eating raw plantain. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, it doesn't contain toxic substances like cassava, which can cause cyanide poisoning if consumed raw.
Green plantains are hard, and the flesh is starchy, which means they can be cooked and enjoyed much the way you would a potato — boiled, baked, roasted or fried. When plantains become softer and start to yellow, the flesh begins to turn orange but keeps its starchy flavor and texture.
Sweet plantains are made from ripe green plantains and they turn yellow when ripe. Tostones are twice-fried, crispy, and salty while sweet plantains are sweet and tender. Both are delicious! The darker the skin, the sweeter the plantains will be.
If that was not confusing enough, there are two ways to refer to Plantains based on how ripe they are: Maduro(ripe plantain) and Platano Verde(unripe plantain.)
Ripe plantain is definitely better for frying. “Ripe” for plantain usually means yellow with a soft texture but not too soft (as shown in picture below). If plantain becomes too ripe, the skin becomes dark and its loses its firmness and produces a mash when fried-it also tends to get too sweet when overripe.
A ripe plantain is best when it's mostly black with a little yellow, and still slightly firm to the touch, like when you squeeze a peach. Although completely black plantains are still good to eat, they are a little too soft, making them difficult to prepare. But they're still delicious.
Introduction: My name is Margart Wisoky, I am a gorgeous, shiny, successful, beautiful, adventurous, excited, pleasant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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