Paladar Teresita

My great-aunt, Tia Tere, is a phenomenal cook and host. She knows just how to plan a multi-course meal that will make your mouth water at every bite. Even when you drop in on her unexpectedly, while her stove is out, like I did last week, she will not disappoint you. On the contrary, she will stuff you with Cuban lasagna, salad, awesome empanadas (more on these later), hearty soup, and plantains. And this is what I want to tell you about, mmm-mmmm-mmm, the plantains. This is a Cuban dish I have yet to master because it requires an ingredient I need to cultivate - no, not a banana plant, PATIENCE. Low and slow is the secret to making plantains, a.k.a tostones, as is making things in small batches and enjoying the process. Tia Tere's talented kitchen assistant, Loli, kindly let me take pictures of the process and pass them on to you.

First, cut up a green plantain into 1 inch pieces. This plantain should be really green, no yellowish or brown spots. Fry the plantains in about an inch of oil on low heat. The plantains need to soften, but not get too crispy.

Then, you pull the plantains out of the oil and get ready for the squashing.

Loli used a flat bottom glass to squash the plantain into a thin disk.

Like so.

Then its back into the frying pan, this time at high heat to get the edges nice and crispy.

Once they are finished, sprinkle with salt, let cool just a bit, and enjoy your delicious crispy tostones.