Fried Plantains

Delicious Fried Plantains

**UPDATE** I tried this recipe with yellow plantains and they came out DELICIOUS!! I think I prefer the yellow plantains over the black, super ripe one*

This year I am dedicated to trying new foods! First on my list: PLANTAINS!  I picked up two plantains a while back and they've been sitting on my counter forever so that they can get super black. I hear that is the best time to cook them. (major thanks to those who told me to take them out of the fridge in my "What's In A Diva's Fridge" video)

This was my first time tasting & cooking plantains so I talked to A LOT of people before attempting to try this recipe, if you can even call it a recipe. It's so simple but I really didn't want to screw these things up because I've been so excited about them.

After looking at tons of" how to cook plantain" videos and fried & baked plantains recipes, I really learned a lot about this amazing fruit. Here are a few plantain facts so you can say you learned something new today:

• Plantains are not bananas, although they are related to the banana they are not suitable to eat raw and must me cooked. (Yall know I would have tried to eat it raw had I not read this)
• Plantains are starchy and often used as a vegetable the same way we would use a potatoes. It is usually fried or baked. They are very popular in West Africa and Caribbean countries.
• A regular banana is ready to eat when the peel is yellow, however a plantain is considered ready to eat when the peel is black or almost black
• Plantains are a good source of potassium, vitamin A & C. They are also high in fiber and used as an energy booster!

 So after talking the ears off of MsJaMayka  (hey girl!!!) she gave me tons of tips on how to cook some good, authentic Jamaican fried plantains!!! I owe you one girl cause I was ready to throw these things in some batter  first LOLLL!

They turned out so sweet, crisp on the outside & so delish ...but I confess....after I ate a few of them I started getting curious...I tried some with powdered sugar (so freakin good) then I tried one with cinnamon-sugar (good as well) and then I just had to try it with some peanut butter (that was just ok but my toddler liked it) Next I think I will try baking them to see how they compare.

Overall I will definitely be cooking these again soon. I hear they go great with soups! They are such a easy and tasty snack.  Thanks to everyone who gave me tips and advice on how to prepare the best plantains.

Ingredients

Plantains (The skin should be black)

dash of salt

Canola Oil or Coconut oil

Step 1.) Cut off the ends of the plantains

Step 2.) Remove the skin by running a knife down the middle and peeling back the skin.

Step 3.) Dice the plantains at a diagonal.

Step 4.) Place them in a bowl and sprinkle on a few dashes of salt. Toss the plantains and let them sit while the oil heats.

Step 5.) In a skillet (cast iron works best) heat your oil on medium high heat. Just enough to halfway cover the plantains is fine.

Step 6.) When the oil is really hot, place the plantain in the oil in a single layer. *Mine started to stick to the bottom of the pan so you may want to move them around a bit when you first put them in the oil.*

Step 7.) Let them cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Reduce the heat if they are cooking to fast or starting to burn.

Step 8.)When done, drain on paper towels.

Enjoy!!!