You Got Your Mojo on my Tostone

So it's been rumored that my banana trees are actually plantains, or "cooking" bananas. At least that is what Fruit Ninja, my super awesome and truly generous neighbor, Faye, told me when I first moved into my house here on Island of Hawai'i.

Faye is affectionately referred to as Fruit Ninja because she has an uncanny and super stealth ability to drop off fruit, even while I'm home, without anyone knowing she was ever there. lol! How she does it, I don't know, because this little old lady who is over 75, is as agile as a cat and can carry upwards of 30 lbs of fruit all by her lonesome. Yep, that is no exaggeration. One thing I do NOT have to buy here in Hawai'i... is fruit.

And... plantains. A fruit? I'm not entirely sure about that but my first harvest of plantains is underway. Interestingly enough, plantains, if allowed to ripen are also sweet so the first thing to decide when cooking with them is whether you want to go sweet or savory.

Sweet plantains are probably best well known as Maduras in Cuban cuisine. Sticky, sweet, creamy. They are the sweet potato of the banana world.

Sweet plantains aren't different, really, than the savory ones. They are just fully ripe. Mine actually look just like yellow bananas when they are ripe but one variety of plantains (I think I have several varieties) look like fat sausages and are distinct in their shape. I harvested some not long ago that I thought were surely plantains only to find them to be the sweetest bananas I've ever had and they were little skinny fingerlings. Suffice it to say, I'm learning the ropes of having near 50 banana trees on my property. Good lord. Thank you for this heavenly abundance!

So anyway, back to the tostone... Tostones, as you may know, are the flattened plantain slices that are deep fried and served with a garlicky chimichurri of sorts. One of my favorite fried foods, turns out, because it can easily be a meal in itself served with black beans and rice. Which is what we had for dinner last night.

Here is what we found out when making them for the first time with this new bushel of plantains: the green ones are the ones you use for a crispier, unsweet version of tostones. BUT! If you are like me, you will fall pretty hard for a slightly sweeter version that combines a crispy edge with a tender interior. And this, to me, pairs so very well with the garlicky mojo served as a dipping sauce.

Let's get started.

For the tostones:

• 2 ripe or unripe plantains, cut into 1 1/2 inch disks
• oil for frying (we use coco oil or peanut oil, ghee might be otherworldly)

For the mojo dipping sauce:

• head of fresh garlic, peeled (yep, all the cloves)
• handful of cilantro
• olive oil
• fresh lime or lemon or white wine vinegar
• salt, to taste

Make the mojo first.

1. Peel all garlic cloves from a whole head of garlic and toss into your food processor. A mini food processor will work fine as it makes about a cup or so of sauce.
2. Add handful of washed, fresh cilantro to the food processor, along with a drizzle of olive oil.
3. Pulse a few times just to get things moving. If it struggles a bit, add another little drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of citrus until it begins to blend well. The texture is totally a matter of preference but I like mine a bit like a pesto or chimichurri but you can make it as smooth or as chunky as you like.
4. Salt to taste and set it aside. The flavors will begin to meld.

Make the tostones:

1. If making tostones with green, unripe, plantains, slice down one side to peel the tough skin off. Cut plantains into 1 1/2-2 inch disks.
2. In a shallow pan or deep fryer, fry the plantains on each side for 2-3 minutes or until softened slightly. Don't overdo it here as tostones are twice fried. This is the first part. You will know if they are done enough to squash. Yep, that's the technical tell... can you squash it?
3. Oil the backside of a small plate or glass (or use a plastic baggie) to help flatten the disks into tostone rounds. Don't kill it, just flatten it. You'll get the hang of it. The glass, plate or baggie is just to help flatten it evenly and a bit of oil keeps it from sticking. I use a plastic baggie because it can just be peeled back and doesn't stick to the tostone. A bit easier, less mess.
4. Deep fry until they reach the crispy level you prefer. This is where you taste and figure out the texture you prefer. Salt and let drain on paper towels but serve immediately.

Note: If you are making tostones the way I like them, with ripened plantains, you don't need to double fry as they are already softer than the unripe plantains. You slice, smush and fry. No shallow first frying is necessary.

To serve, plate those suckers up solo and serve with mojo sauce on the side. If serving as a side, then you know what you are doing so serve it however you like!

For those of you that love the Cuban style Maduros, which are more like dessert bananas-Foster style... 

1. Warm up some butter, brown sugar in a pan on medium low heat until just melted and the sugar has dissolved.
2. Toss in some of your cooked, ripened plantains and let warm through in your caramel-ish sauce. 
3. Serve by itself or over.... um, anything.