Subject: Plantain Fritters
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Mon Feb 28 2000 - 11:16:13 EST
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: FOOD FUNNY :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reader Frank Glenn tells us about something that happened to him as a
youngster:
My grandfather said about three words per day and seldom laughed
aloud. One summer vacation day I managed to provoke his entire
output. I, a 225 lb., 6" sixth grader, came rambling through the
kitchen and spotted a large green jelly bean on top of the
refrigerator. Figuring to get it before my enormous "baby" brother, I
popped it into my mouth and bit. ("You tell a lot about how people
eat jelly beans," opined Reagan.)
I glanced at my grandfather who has an enormous smile just as the
truth struck me that this was the bitterest jelly bean I'd ever eaten.
Spewing it out I said, "That tastes like %^&!" By this time he was
roaring with laughter and wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Dog-worming capsule," was all he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TODAY'S RECIPE ::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tales of my recent exploits here on the sunny isle of St. Thomas have
provoked a number of requests for Caribbean recipes. I have long
planned to do a week of Puerto Rican recipes, and was waiting
for a chance to visit the island first. I decided to go ahead and
put together a menu of "Classic Puerto Rican Cooking" earlier
than planned, so I consulted the vast resources of the World
Wide Recipes Cookbook Library to do some research. All of this week's
recipes are adapted from the excellent "Puerto Rican Cookery" by
Carmen Aboy Valldejuli (Pelican Publishing Co., 1998) which is
available from Amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0882894110/worldwiderecipes.
Plantains, the oversized cousin of the banana, are becoming more
widely available throughout the U.S., although it is sometimes
difficult to find them in both their green (unripe) and yellow (ripe)
states. The green is preferred for this recipe, but the ripe will do
in a pinch.
Plantain Fritters (Tostones)
3 plantains, peeled
4 cups (1 L) water
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 Tbs (30 ml) salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt (optional)
Cut the plantains diagonally into slices about 1 inch (2 cm) thick.
Combine the water, garlic, and salt in a large bowl and stir to
dissolve the salt. Add the plantains and soak for 15 to 30 minutes.
Drain and pat the slices dry with paper towels. Heat the oil to 350F
(180C) and deep-fry the plantain slices a few at a time until light
golden brown, about 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and when cool
enough so as not to burn yourself, place them between paper towels and
press with the palm of your hand to flatten them to about 1/4 inch (5
mm) thickness. Increase the temperature of the oil to 375F (190C) and
fry again, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle
with salt if desired. Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer.
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