Published: September 23, 2010

With the return of the school year, many of us, especially the freshmen, are trying diverse methods to form friendships. When I was a freshman, I was at the disadvantage of being a very shy person by nature. So what did I do? I cooked. You’d be surprised how many people love free food, especially if it has an exotic twist. Fresh off the boat from the Dominican Republic, I had but a few things under my culinary belt, one of them being tostones, those weird looking crunchy plantain rounds served in Latin-American joints.

Below is my family recipe straight from the Caribbean. They are super simple to make and yet so good that word will get out quick about them (and you of course). Try them on their own or with ketchup.

Warning: I assume no responsibility if you become committed to making them once a week for all your new friends.

Tostones Recipe:

What You’ll Need:

Materials:

• Frying pan
• Flat-bottomed cup
• Small piece of plastic wrap, big enough to cover the bottom of
• the cup
• Knife
• Paper towels

Ingredients:

• 2 large green plantains (they are bigger than bananas and have a
• thicker peel)
• Canola oil, enough for deep-frying
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Fill the frying pan with canola oil, about two inches thick, and begin to heat.
2. Peel the plantains. Cut each knob at the end off and make about four equally spaced vertical runs in the peel with your knife. Then get your nails under the peel and take the peel off by sections. This requires some serious elbow grease.
3. Cut each plantain into two-inch rounds.
4. Fry for the first time by plunking them into the oil for about two to four minutes, until they turn a brighter yellow, but don’t let them get too dark! Take them out when this happens.
5. Cover the bottom of the cup (on the outside) with the plastic wrap and squish a round of plantain downwards against a counter or flat surface until it is about ¼ inch thick. Remove the plantain round from the plastic wrap and repeat until all the rounds are about the same width and height.
6. Fry for the second time by gently sliding them into the oil. This time let them fry for another two to four minutes until golden and crunchy.
7. Once you’ve taken them out again, place them on some paper towels to drain the oil and hit them with salt to taste.
8. Serve and enjoy!