Baked/fried plantains

[A Patric]

Hi all,

I've had plantains cooked many different ways, and everytime I've ever had them I've found them to be OK at best. So, when I recently had some plantains in Venezuela that were not only better than any plantain that I'd ever had, but that honestly were some of the best fruit I've ever had, I decided that I'd have to look into how to best cook them.

For all of you who know about cooking plantains I'll explain how these were and then I hope that you might have some tips for me.

First of all, these were ripe plantains as they had an internal sweetness to them that the starchier unripe plantains don't have.

Secondly, these plantains were split down the middle into halves, and they were equally cooked on all sides.

The browning was not as much golden as it was a very deep carmel brown, and the browned section had a very carmelized flavor. However, I don't believe that these plantains were coated with sugar as they weren't that sweet, only sweeter than unripe plantains.

Finally, these plantains, though they were ripe and not extremely starchy, seemed to have less water content than plantains I've had before, almost as if they had been dehydrated a little.

The only thing that I can think of is that perhaps they were deep fried on a relatively low heat, which might explain the dehydration and the carmelized outside, or perhaps they were baked at a low heat.

I really am not sure, and if I had to guess, based on the texture of the outside, I'd say that they were possibly baked, but again, it is only a guess. All that I can say is that they were so flavorful and had such a good texture, that I can't keep my mind off of them.

Any tips on what to do? I tried sauteeing some ripe one in butter, and it doesn't come close to the same result.

Thanks!

[godito]

More likelly they were seared with lard, the most usual way to cook them in most latin america. However, they could also be baked, it's not uncommon to serve them like this.

I don't know where you live, but I think the main issue is the variety and/or freshness of the plantain. I can't speak of Venezuela as I've never been there, but in Ecuador, where I lived for 12 years, they had several varieties, and they were available extra fresh (you just had to take a 30 minute drive to the plantations and get them there). My experience is that I've had much better plantains in Ecuador than just about anywhere else.

Hope this helped

[scubadoo97]

When buying plantains locally you have to buy them ripe or let them ripen until the skin is black and the plantains are beginning to get soft. The carmelization occurs from the sugars naturally occurring in the plantain. You have to really watch them since they can burn quickly. I cook mine in butter or a mixture of butter and olive oil. I've sliced them on the bias and have done them lengthwise. Lengthwise is easier to deal with but I like them sliced best. I haven't had them in a Latin country to compare but compared to the Latin restaurants I've been to mine are pretty equal.

[A Patric]

When buying plantains locally you have to buy them ripe or let them ripen until the skin is black and the plantains are beginning to get soft.  The carmelization occurs from the sugars naturally occurring in the plantain.  You have to really watch them since they can burn quickly.  I cook mine in butter or a mixture of butter and olive oil.  I've sliced them on the bias and have done them lengthwise.  Lengthwise is easier to deal with but I like them sliced best.  I haven't had them in a Latin country to compare but compared to the Latin restaurants I've been to mine are pretty equal.

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Thanks for the info. Yep, I've been buying them unripe and then waiting until they are black before trying to cook them. But even so, they don't taste quite like what I had.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if there is something to be said about the dehydration since it would concentrate the flavor and the sugars. I remember having dehydrated bananas in France that were not the banana chips that I was used to. They were whole bananas that had been dried until chewy and sugary. They were quite a dark brown or black on the outside and had shrunk considerably. They were also one of the most delicious dried fruits I'd ever had. I wonder what would happen if I were to partially dehydrate (maybe 1/3 of the way) the very ripe plantains (after peeling them of course) and then afterwards brown them in some butter? This may give the kind of texture and flavor that I'm looking for.

Any thoughts?

[Luckylies]

First off ripen them to black, the cook them in oil on meduim heat or medium low heat, only turning once (about 4 mins. a side) until they are deep carmelized brown and very sweet. about 1/4 cup veg. oil in a medium pan is usually what I use. If you go slow, and the plantains are very ripe they will be sweet and tender and not starchy at all. this is my favorite way as well.

[scubadoo97]

if I were to partially dehydrate

How are you going to do this in a dehydrator or let them sit in the frige?

I should mention that many restaurants deep fry them but I like the pan method and butter gives great flavor to the final dish.

[A Patric]

if I were to partially dehydrate

How are you going to do this in a dehydrator or let them sit in the frige?

←

I was going to throw them in the oven at the lowest temp, just like I do with jerky.

[scott123]

Plantains suffer the same problem as avocados. The closer you are to the source, the better they are. This is because they're not getting banged around during shipping and can be picked ripe, not picked unripe and allowed to ripen, either naturally or with the help of chemicals.

Basically, you're looking for a cooking technique that doesn't exist. Slow sauteeing them in plenty of butter helps, but if you're using an inferior plantain, it's not going to give you what you want. It's not the cooking technique, it's the quality of the product.

A vine ripened, unblemished plantain is going to be far superior to your typical American supermarket variety. I'm sure that's what you experienced in Venezuela.

Depending on where you are in the U.S., an orgasmic fried plantain can be found, but the odds are not that great. The restaurants where I am (NYC area) usually have plantains that are very good but not life altering. When I was living in Hell's Kitchen 10 years ago, it felt like 1 in 15 plantain experiences were phenomenal, but, now, on the other side of the Hudson, at the Cuban places I frequent, it's closer to 1 in 30.

Finding a mind blowing quality raw plantain in a supermarket is an even sketchier proposition. So far, my success rate has been about 1 in 60. And it's not for lack of trying. I've purchased literally hundreds of them in vary stages of ripeness, with different physical features in the hopes of figuring out how to get consistently great ones. I've also spoken to countless number of people that buy/cook them on a regular basis to see if they could point me in the right direction of what to look for. Buying them green and ripening them until black is NOT a guarantee that they'll be edible. Frequently, ripening until black will give you a rotten plantain. At least, it will if you live in the NE U.S.

I believe there's two important factors involved in purchasing a phenomenal plantain from a NE U.S. supermarket.

1. You have to be able to detect the physical traits that characterize a phenomenal product/how it will ripen

2. A quality product has to be on the premises.

Even if I had a perfect eye for picking them, I still think it would be a losing effort due to the fact that most of the time, the supermarket doesn't have a high quality product on hand. I've theorized that time of the year might play a role. There may be a peak seasonal time to buy them. I'm not sure.

If I've been 1 in 60 for phenomenal plaintains, my success rate was about 1 in 8 for good/edible ones. 1 in 8 wasn't a terribly encouraging batting average. Those are pretty crappy odds. I pursued this quest for about 6 years and then finally gave up buying/cooking raw plantains. These days, when I get the urge, I go to restaurants (crossing my fingers all the way) or I buy them frozen. Goya produces a product that's consistently excellent.

Btw, if you dehydrate them, they will go brown/get leathery. The restaurant you had them at didn't dehydrate them. I'm sure of it.

[achevres]

I'm always so glad when someone likes plantains.

I grew up in Puerto Rico, love plantains in every form and my grandfather grew them, so I know something about them.

First, to clarify, all plantains and bananas are cut green from the "tree" (I don't think it is considered botanically a regular tree). They grow in bunches and the whole bunch is cut down and let ripen. In other words, they are never "tree ripened." But, of course, they are never as good here in the mainland as at the source.

Second, there is no dehydration done, at least I've never heard of it. There is no need, they are so good already.

Third, I've had better luck than scott123, but all his points about buying are correct. (The problem I have is finding a truly green plantain, for other dishes)

Now to the cooking. The plantains you liked so much I bet were ripe and just fried in vegetable oil slowly, as explained above. The riper (blacker) the plantain is the softer and sweeter on the inside, and easier to burn. There is a point, in my opinion, that they may be too soft and sweet, but still good and that is just my preference.

In Puerto Rico and Cuba the ripe plantains are sliced into rounds or ovals and fried and are called "amarillos" in PR and "maduros" in Cuba. Other Latin countries will have their own names.

We also make them baked with a syrup, which you may enjoy -- almost like dessert.

For a somewhat diferent taste and firmer texture, you may also want to try baking the just-ripe plantain (that would be yellow with black spots) with the skin on (350 deg F, 45 minutes, turn half way). When done, slit it with a knife and add a pat of butter. I haven't had this in so long and my mouth is watering now. Usually a dish cooked at home, not in a restaurant.

Edited to clarify the spots.

Edited December 20, 2006 by achevres (log)

[Pan]

achevres, when I was living in rural Malaysia with neighbors who had banana trees, I ate them ripe picked directly off the tree (in other words, picked a banana myself and ate it right away), so at least in some places, people do eat truly tree-ripened bananas. Plantains, however, are green when ripe, aren't they?

[Pan]

Oh, also, in Malaysia, I had the best fried banana ever! It was pisang tanduk -- you guessed it, a plantain. It cost 10 times more than regular fried bananas, back in 1975, and my parents and I got it from a man with a roadside stand on the old east coast highway in Jerteh, Besut district, Terengganu. The traditional way to fry bananas in Malaysia is whole, in coconut oil. The coconut oil they used in those days was unrefined. And that's about all I could tell you. The mother of a friend/classmate/neighbor of mine had a roadside fried banana stand in the village I lived in in Marang district, Terengganu, but though I ate many of her fried bananas (no pisang tanduk, unfortunately, but just about all varieties of bananas in Malaysia are great!), but I never fried one, myself. I don't think it's difficult, though.

For the record, I can eat fried plantains in New York but never eat other kinds of bananas, because they totally suck here, for the same reasons that have been given upthread: They are never allowed to ripen on the tree, and therefore, never get ripe.

[scott123]

First, to clarify, all plantains and bananas are cut green from the "tree" (I don't think it is considered botanically a regular tree).  They grow in bunches and the whole bunch is cut down and let ripen.  In other words, they are never "tree ripened."

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I stand corrected. Thanks for the clarification. That's good to know!

So, even if you live next door to a plantain "tree," you wouldn't let the plantains ripen on it, you'd always cut them down and let them ripen before cooking with them? Is that correct?

Oh, yeah... you said you had better luck than I do buying them. Can you share any of your tricks? What should I be looking for in a plantain that I'm going to bring home and allow to ripen?

Shiny or matte?

Green or yellow?

Bright or dull?

Hard or soft?

For a while I picked my plantains like I picked my bananas, I'd look for the fruit with the brightest/most intense color. It didn't work very well for me, though.

Sometimes, and this is strange, I'd find a fully ripened plantain in the bin that I'd take home, immediately cook and it was great. I've found perfectly ripened avocados this way as well. Is allowing them to ripen at home that important/does it increase the chances of success that much?

Edited December 20, 2006 by scott123 (log)

[A Patric]

This thread is getting better than I ever expected!

I'll continue reading with anticipation.

[Domestic Goddess]

Pan, it is easy to ripen bananas. Stick them in a paperbag and they'll ripen in a day or two.

[achevres]

achevres, when I was living in rural Malaysia with neighbors who had banana trees, I ate them ripe picked directly off the tree (in other words, picked a banana myself and ate it right away), so at least in some places, people do eat truly tree-ripened bananas. Plantains, however, are green when ripe, aren't they?

←

Plantains are eaten green or ripe. So they are ready to eat when they are green, but that doesn't mean they are ripe. They are totally different (I am reminded of green and ripe papaya). There are several degrees of ripening and the first on is yellow with no spots.

Unfortunately, I didn't grow the bananas or plantains, my grandfather did. But he always cut the bunch ("racimo") and not let it ripen on the "tree." (BTW, I just researched and the plantain is the world's largest herb). Anyway, the tree only flowers and fruits once, so I think the bunch is cut so that the tree can be cut down and a new one planted. As far as I know there is no improvement by leaving the bunch on the tree.

[achevres]

So, even if you live next door to a plantain "tree," you wouldn't let the plantains ripen on it, you'd always cut them down and let them ripen before cooking with them? Is that correct?

Oh, yeah... you said you had better luck than I do buying them.  Can you share any of your tricks? What should I be looking for in a plantain that I'm going to bring home and allow to ripen?

Shiny or matte?

Green or yellow?

Bright or dull?

Hard or soft?

For a while I picked my plantains like I picked my bananas, I'd look for the fruit with the brightest/most intense color. It didn't work very well for me, though.

Sometimes, and this is strange, I'd find a fully ripened plantain in the bin that I'd take home, immediately cook and it was great.  I've found perfectly ripened avocados this way as well. Is allowing them to ripen at home that important/does it increase the chances of success that much?

←

We always cut them down, that way there was room to plant another tree.

I haven't analized it this much, but I would try to pick an unblemished yellow one to get a head start on the ripening. Otherwise an unblemished firm green one and start praying .

The problem I have had is to be ready when the plantain is ready (like avocados). Bottom line is that it's not easy. When I grew up we usually had several plantains at different degrees of ripening.

I too buy the Goya ripe plantains and like them and I'm not embarrased. I am very busy, most of the time I'm the only one eating and they are so consistent. Even my mother in PR buys them.

[scubadoo97]

The problem I have had is to be ready when the plantain is ready (like avocados). Bottom line is that it's not easy.

So true. I am planning to make yellow rice and chicken as well as tortilla soup on Friday for a large crowd and thought great, I'll make plantains. Can't find one that is even close to being ripe. The avocados were close so there's a chance come Friday. I just don't plan a menu 2 weeks ahead.

[Abra]

This is so timely for me as I have four large and semi-ripe plantains in the kitchen ripening. Does anyone know of a traditional Christmas or Hanukkah dish involving plantains?

[Pan]

Pan, it is easy to ripen bananas. Stick them in a paperbag and they'll ripen in a day or two.

←

I do not find that bananas shipped to the U.S. ripen properly no matter what, and I think there's no substitute for tree-ripening. Based on what achevres has written, plantains may be different in this respect. And that would go some way toward explaining why bananas here tend to give my stomach a hard time but plantains (including tostones, which are in fact deliberately unripe and starchy) are OK for me. In Malaysia, bananas are great for my digestion!

Edited December 21, 2006 by Pan (log)

[scubadoo97]

This is so timely for me as I have four large and semi-ripe plantains in the kitchen ripening.  Does anyone know of a traditional Christmas or Hanukkah dish involving plantains?

←

Fried plantains would be a natural for Hanukkah since it's cooked in oil and I think for many Cubans, at least the ones in the US, roast pork, usually the whole pig, is the meat of choice on Christmas which would include a side of platanos maduro

http://cuban-christmas.com/

[A Patric]

Alright, I figured out the secret. Using my hunches and some advice from some of the posts above I did the following:

In a cast iron skillet I added a substantial amount of canola oil (about 1/2 way up the side), and turned the heat to just slightly above low.

I took two almost completely black plantains, peeled them, and cut them in half lengthwise.

I placed them in the oil and cooked, turning every few minutes until the outside of the each one was nice, dark and carmelized.

I let them cool slightly, and then tasted. They had the same sweet and concentrated flavor that I was looking for, and rather than being too starchy or too mushy on the inside, they were just right, and slightly dehydrated like I was thinking. The outside was perfectly carmelized like the ones I'd tried in Venezuela.

I'll be making them again for Christmas eve night as I am making a mole poblano from scratch, and they'll go great with the turkey and sauce.

Anyway, thanks for all of the help!

[achevres]

Pan, it is easy to ripen bananas. Stick them in a paperbag and they'll ripen in a day or two.

←

I do not find that bananas shipped to the U.S. ripen properly no matter what, and I think there's no substitute for tree-ripening. Based on what achevres has written, plantains may be different in this respect. And that would go some way toward explaining why bananas here tend to give my stomach a hard time but plantains (including tostones, which are in fact deliberately unripe and starchy) are OK for me. In Malaysia, bananas are great for my digestion!

←

I have to agree that bananas here in the US (northeast) never even come close to those in tropical countries. There is something, as we all know, to eating close to the source. I also agree that the "properties" of bananas differ. Here is the USA they are recommended as an "intestinal binder" (I'm trying to be polite) and where I come from they are recommended for the opposite effect!

Here is a site that sells banana plants and has a lot of info. I couldn't find it earlier. All those varieties are making me homesick.

banana-plants.com