Plantain (Tostones and Maduros)

Ingredients

• For the tostones
• 2 green plantains, must snap when bent — any yellow colouring disqualifies them
• 1 litre neutral oil, for frying
• 500 ml cold water, for soaking after smashing
• 1 tsp fine salt, dissolved in the soaking water
• For the mojito sauce
• 60 ml olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• 30 ml citrus juice, lime or sour orange
• For the maduros
• 2 ripe plantains, skin almost fully black — the blacker the skin, the higher the sugar concentration
• 500 ml neutral oil, for frying

Method

1. 1
   TOSTONES — FIRST FRY. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan to 163°C (325°F). Peel the green plantains and cut into rounds 2–3 cm thick. Lower into the oil and fry until cooked through but without colour. The exterior will be pale gold and the flesh will yield to a skewer without resistance.
2. 2
   TOSTONES — SMASH. Remove the rounds immediately and smash each one flat with a tostonera or the base of a heavy glass while still hot and pliable. This is the step that decides the dish: a hot round flattens cleanly, increasing surface contact with the oil; a cold one crumbles and cannot be recovered. Work without pause.
3. 3
   TOSTONES — SOAK. Submerge the smashed rounds in cold salted water (1 tsp salt per 500 ml) for 5 minutes. Remove and pat completely dry with a clean cloth. The surface must show no standing moisture before returning to the oil.
4. 4
   TOSTONES — SECOND FRY. Raise the oil to 190°C (375°F). Return the smashed rounds and fry until golden and crisp. The exterior will harden to a crackling shell; a round lifted from the oil will remain rigid rather than flex. Drain on a rack and serve immediately.
5. 5
   MOJITO SAUCE. Combine the crushed garlic, olive oil, and citrus juice. The sauce is ready when the garlic has surrendered its raw sharpness into the oil — taste to confirm the balance of fat, acid, and allium.
6. 6
   MADUROS. Heat the oil to 177°C (350°F). Peel the black-ripe plantains and cut diagonally into slices 1–2 cm thick. Fry, turning once, until the natural sugars caramelise to a deep amber glaze on each face. The colour must reach dark caramel — the glaze will be sticky and fragrant. Remove before any face turns black, which signals bitterness rather than sweetness.