Fried Green Plantains And Garlic Sauce Tostones With Mojo Recipes

Steps:

• Peel plantains and cut on a diagonal into 3/4-inch thick slices. In a heavy skillet, heat 3/4 cup oil and fry plantain slices until golden brown. Lift slices onto plate or tray to cool, and press with spatula to flatten. Return to hot oil and fry again until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, and keep warm on a serving plate.
• In small bowl, make mojo by whisking together fresh garlic, sour orange juice, and remaining 1/4 cup oil. Dress each serving of plantains with mojo and serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the mojo: Finely mince or use a rasp grater to grate the garlic into a small bowl or the base of a mortar and pestle. Add the salt and pepper and use a fork or the pestle to mash into a paste. Strip the oregano and cilantro leaves off the stems and add them to the bowl, mashing them into the paste. Whisk in the sour orange juice or equal parts lime and orange juice and the olive oil. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Set aside while you prepare the tostones.
• For the tostones: Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven until it reaches 325 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• While the oil heats, peel the plantains and cut on the bias into 2-inch-thick pieces.
• Fry the plantains in batches until crisp and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper-towel-lined baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining plantains.
• Move the pot the off the heat (do not discard the oil).
• Line a cutting board with parchment paper and gather a flat-bottomed glass and small bowl of water. Place a fried plantain on the parchment paper, dip the bottom of the glass in the water and use it to smash the plantain to about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the plantains.
• Put the oil on the heat again and bring it back up to 325 degrees F. Fry the smashed plantains in batches until golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels, season with salt and serve hot with the garlic mojo dipping sauce.