Talk to me peeps - plantains

[SLIM]

Yeah seriously ...

Been enjoying fryin up plantains lately. Nothing fancy, sometimes simple is best, right?! Make sure they're ripe, slice em in half the long way, ****load of butter in the pan, fry them up so they have some darkness to them, sprinkle some cinnamon and then eat the **** out of them. Sometimes I put chocolate chunks on them to melt on when plating.

***For those with experience!!!*** (because any monkey can PUTSB) ... how can you get them to ripen quicker? Seems to take forever sometimes (buy them from Metro and they're usually quite green). I've been doing the ol' paper bag in the oven dealio. Not bad, but anything quicker?

Any recipes to share?

Stop laughing!

[dizzy929]

Put another fruit (apple or orange) in the bag with the bananas.

I fry my plantains in oil rather than butter and I'll sprinkle a lil sugar on them. Also for the sweetest plantain they're best when they're over ripe boarder line rotten, the peel should be black.

[knowledge]

OP, put your fruit in a sack of rice or a container of rice or put it in a brown paper bag.

The secret is in something called ethylene (rice releases it & so does fruit) which helps it ripen. By putting another fruit with it, you're compounding the ethylene that both fruits release. By putting it in a brown paper bag, you're trapping the gas while still allowing the fruit to breathe. By putting it in rice, you're trapping the gas & compounding the ethylene (since rice also gives it off).

So if you want quick results, do a combination of all 3 things lol.

Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turon_(food). It's easy to make & you can throw it in the freezer + just fry it whenever you feel like having some. It's delicious;

[toshison]

I love plantains.

I do my plantains sliced and fried in butter and right near the end of the cooking process I throw in some sugar and toss them around. The sugar mixes with the butter thus caramelizing/candying the pieces.

My wife makes Turon so I eat them that way as well.

In the Dominican Rep, I remember they would cook and mash them, put them in a pan, cover with cheese and bake them. It was good.

In Vietnam, I ate a dessert where they grilled bananas (the small firm ones, not plantains but you could interchange). and then cooked them together with tapioca in sweetened coconut milk and served warm... Plantains + coconut milk is a winner.

[rutakin]

Ripe plaintain fried in COCONUT OIL, as well as green ones for chips. NO need to add anything, naturally delicious.

Also try sweet potato chips... again coconut oil.. the West Indian secret that the whities just discovered like its slice bread.

[jc100]

Patacones.....squashed plantain slices fried up golden on each side served with savory food. Why do you north Americans smother everything in sugar?

[rib]

Why do you north Americans smother everything in sugar?

For the same reason you ride a bike instead of a car... It's just better. Bacon too!

[mmmnaked]

"you" north americans...

Feel free to catch a flight back to whatever third world you came from

[rutakin]

"you" north americans...

Feel free to catch a flight back to whatever third world you came from

why? its a fact.

go to Tim Hortons where they have sugar filled muffins with sugar sprinkles on top for good measure.

[Jenerator]

Yeah, I don't go to Timmy's anymore. Just about everything is just a big dose of sugar. Blech.

Anyway, yeah! We've got some extra virgin (super-coconutty-smelling) coconut oil that we like to fry things in, such as sweet potato chips or fries. I believe we've used it with the plantains before, too. Adding the rice to the bag is an interesting thought...though we don't eat much of that, these days, either.

Hey, I've lost 20 lbs and kept it off for two years by cutting sugar and grains out...so I'm happy without em!

[afelotreyu]

if you use a non-sticky pan you can actually get them done with very little oil....

If you have your plantain freak on.. SouthAmerica has lots of ways of making plantain.

Try making:

Tostones or Pacaton
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/puerto-...ied-plantains/

baked with cheese
http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/12/0...s-with-cheese/

baked with guava and cheese
http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/ba...ava-and-cheese

lol hope you are hungry..

[Nyx13]

Never had plantains but have always been curious about them. OMG... You people are making me DROOL! Definitely gonna check them out now!

[rutakin]

Yeah, I don't go to Timmy's anymore. Just about everything is just a big dose of sugar. Blech.

Anyway, yeah! We've got some extra virgin (super-coconutty-smelling) coconut oil that we like to fry things in, such as sweet potato chips or fries. I believe we've used it with the plantains before, too. Adding the rice to the bag is an interesting thought...though we don't eat much of that, these days, either.

Hey, I've lost 20 lbs and kept it off for two years by cutting sugar and grains out...so I'm happy without em!

Tip get your coconut oil from any WI store its probably 1/3 the price. Or make your own... its easy.

[jc100]

"you" north americans...

Feel free to catch a flight back to whatever third world you came from

You mean the uk? Funny...I accepted the step down in standards coming here.

Seriously though, if you're going to smother the things with sugar just use bananas instead. I love patacones with my coconut rice and fresh fish when I go away down south.

[rutakin]

a good root veggies and coconut dish.. its kind of like a soup...Amazon natives dish

Metemgee (Metagee)


Ingredients

1 dry coconut
¾ lb mixed meat
1 lb (approx.) fried fish or salt fish
1lb cassava (yucca)
1lb plantain (your choice of ripeness)
1lb eddoes, yam or dasheen
1 large onion -- cut in rings
Dumplings (optional)
Preparation

• Cover the mixed meat with water and boil for ½ hour. Put salt-fish to soak in water; if using fresh fish this may be fried or placed on top of vegetables about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
• Grate the coconut, pour one pint of water over, squeeze well and strain to extract the coconut milk. Pour over the meat.
• Peel the vegetables, then put the meat and vegetables to cook in the coconut milk. Cook until almost tender.
• Put the salt fish with the skin and bones removed, or fresh fish or fried fish on top of vegetables. Add the onion and ochroes.
• Cook until the coconut milk is almost absorbed.

If dumplings are used they should be added about 8 minutes before the vegetables are ready.
Alternative Recipe

Recipe compliments of "A Taste of Guyana" - Dr. Odeen Ishmael.
Ingredients

6 oz meat
1 tbsp margarine
Water
8 oz salt-fish
1 small dry coconut
1 lb ripe plantains
¼ lb yam
½ lb cassava
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp thyme
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 large onion, cut into rings
1 tbsp sugar
Dumplings (optional)
Preparation

• Cut up meat.
• In a large saucepan, fry meat lightly in butter, cover with water and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Soak salt fish in warm water for about 15 minutes. Drain. Remove skin and bones. Discard. Squeeze fish dry.
• Grate coconut. Add 2 cups of warm water, squeeze well and strain off coconut milk.
• Arrange peeled plantains and seasonings in layers over the meat, with salt fish on top.
• Add coconut milk and cook, covered, until almost tender, about 30 minutes.
• Place onions and okras on top of salt fish. Steam, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Add dumplings and steam for another 8 minutes.

[toshison]

You mean the uk? Funny...I accepted the step down in standards coming here.

Thats a bold statement my friend.

Not trying to start nothing but if you ask me, when it comes to food, the UK is a major step down from "North America".. I was not at all impressed over there. The food scene in Toronto itself smashes any UK city any day. Then there is the rest of this great continent with many other great eating cities and unique cuisines that you'll never find over there.

[rutakin]

Thats a bold statement my friend.

Not trying to start nothing but if you ask me, when it comes to food, the UK is a major step down from "North America".. I was not at all impressed over there. The food scene in Toronto itself smashes any UK city any day. Then there is the rest of this great continent with many other great eating cities and unique cuisines that you'll never find over there.

Plus you gotta pay to use the loo. And lets not even talk about the teeth...