Totally Tostones Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oil to 350 degrees F.
• Cut plantains down the middle; peel away skin and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
• Add plantains to the hot oil and fry until golden; about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook as you want the center to still be raw. Lightly salt.
• Put the fried plantain through the old fashioned smasher. This will make it a cup shape.
• Place the "the plantain cup" into the deep-fryer and fry again until golden brown and fully firm, about 2 to 3 minutes Drain on a paper towel lined sheet tray. Season with salt.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the garlic, garlic salt and onion powder. Add plantains; cover with cold water. Soak for 30 minutes. , Drain plantains; place on paper towels and pat dry. In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°. Add plantains, a few at a time, and cook for 30-60 seconds or until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels., Place plantain pieces between two sheets of aluminum foil. With the bottom of a glass, flatten to 1/2-in. thickness. Fry 2-3 minutes longer or until golden brown. , Combine seasoning mix ingredients; sprinkle tostones with seasoning mix.

Steps:

• Put 3 cloves garlic into a mortar and add 1 teaspoon salt. Mash with the pestle until it forms a smooth paste; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut both ends off the plantains and run a knife just through the skin down the sides. Drop them into the boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. Take them out and plunge them into ice water. Peel the plantains and cut them into 1/2-inch thick slices.
• Heat about 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a large skillet and fry the plantains, in batches, on both flat sides until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Press the tostones in a tostones press or on a cutting board with the bottom of a small heavy pot until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Toss them in a bowl with the garlic paste. Re-fry the tostones in the hot oil until golden brown.
• Serve as is with a sprinkling of salt or with a dab of one of the suggested toppings.

Steps:

• For the plantains: Pour 1/2 inch canola oil into a large skillet and heat over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set aside.
• Add the plantains to the oil; it should be barely bubbling. Cook, in batches, until soft and lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board.
• Place a plate on top of a plantain slice and press to flatten it to 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining plantains. Return all the plantains to the hot oil, in batches, and fry until crispy, about 1 minute. Drain on the lined sheet pan. Season immediately with salt and pepper.
• For the tartare: In a medium bowl, combine the crema, cilantro, scallion whites, adobo, ginger, the juice from half the lime and salt and pepper to taste. Add the tuna and mix so that the tuna is well coated. Adjust the seasonings.
• Top each plantain with some tuna tartare, a sprinkle of salt, scallion greens and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Pour 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil a large saute pan or deep large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Line 2 plates with paper towels.
• Meanwhile, place the plantains on a cutting board and cut off the ends. While holding a plantain firmly, slit the peel lengthwise without cutting into the flesh of the plantain. Cut the plantain in half crosswise. Using the tip of your knife, start to loosen the edges of the skin without cutting into the flesh. Remove the peel of the plantain with your hands. Repeat with the remaining plantains.
• Slice the plantains into 1-inch rounds. Fry the plantains in batches until just golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to one of the paper towel-lined plates to drain.
• Flatten the plantains in a tostonera or on a cutting board by pressing down on the pieces one at a time with a small plate or the bottom of a clean can.
• Working in batches, return the flattened plantains to the saute pan and fry again until they are golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the second paper towel-lined plate.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup and garlic in a small bowl and until completely incorporated.
• Sprinkle the tostones with salt and serve immediately with the mayo-ketchup on the side.

Steps:

• Trim and discard the ends of the plantains. Use a paring knife to cut a slit along the length of the plantain to easily remove the peel, carefully avoiding cutting into the flesh. If the peel is too firm, use a spoon to lift the edges, then discard the peel. Slice the plantain crosswise into 1-inch rounds (about 8 pieces per plantain).
• In a large skillet, heat about 1/8-inch vegetable oil over medium. When the oil shimmers, add the plantains, flat-side down. Fry until beginning to turn golden, about 1 minute per side.
• While keeping the heat on, transfer plantains to a cutting board. Working with one piece at a time, use a tostonera or large flat-bottomed cup to gently press each plantain to about 1/2-inch thick. (If using a cup, keep it as centered as possible to flatten the plantains evenly.)
• Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, pan-fry the flattened plantains until golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer tostones to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. While hot, season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.