Learn How to Make Delicious Patacones (Fried Green Plantains)
Patacones or fried plantains are a really popular Venezuelan recipe that you can combine with different sauces for a unique flavor every time you eat them.
You can make countless recipes from plantains, all you have to do is let your imagination and creativity run wild. This delicious patacones recipe is the perfect example. In this article, you’re going to learn how to make them.
If you’ve never heard of patacones or fried plantains before, don’t worry. This recipe basically consists of cutting a green plantain into slices, frying it in a lot of vegetable oil, taking the slices out, crushing them a little, and frying them again. As you can see, you have to follow a few steps to make them.
The idea is to change the plantain’s originally soft structure and texture to a hard and crispy one. Therefore, this recipe is the base which you can place shredded beef or chicken on top. Also, you can fill them up with the typical and traditional dressing from the Zulia region in Venezuela, the place where these delicious fried plantains originated from.
In countries in Western Europe, America, and Asia, this preparation may be a surprise to people who have never tried it before. It’s perhaps one of the only dishes that uses a fruit as the main ingredient. The toppings and fillings are also really yummy.
Don’t ever miss the opportunity to get to know a country through its food. And yes, it’s a good idea to time how long it takes you to make these patacones. You’ll see that you can make them in under 20 minutes! So, let’s get started!
How to prepare delicious patacones or fried plantains
Classic patacones
This patacones recipe is one of the most popular that you’ve probably seen in other places.
It’s made with green plantains and uses frying methods just like making crispy French fries. All you have to do is follow these instructions to make these deliciously amazing patacones:
Ingredients
- 4 green plantains
- 1 cup of vegetable oil (250 ml)
- 3 tablespoons of salt (45 g)
Instructions
- Start by peeling all the plantains. It’s very important that you don’t cut them into slices. Remember, this is the classic recipe for patacones, so they’re made whole. So don’t it!
- Add the oil in the frying pan and heat over medium heat.
- When it’s very hot (check by putting your hand over it to feel the heat), it will be time to proceed to the next step.
- Place the entire green plantain (without cutting it) into the hot oil and let it brown on both sides.
- Let the plantain turn into a golden color and allow the oil harden it a bit.
- After around 2 minutes, take it out of the oil and set aside. Repeat this same process with all the plantains.
- The next thing to do is to crush them (whole, without cutting them). You can use a wooden press or a large bowl, supporting your body weight on the plantains.
- Once crushed, place them immediately into the hot oil and let them fry for another 5 minutes. They’ll be ready when you feel they’re hard and crispy after poking them.
Read this article too: 6 Benefits of Green Bananas that You Probably Don’t Know About
Classic delicious patacones filling
Basically, this is what you’ll put on top of the fried plantains once they’re ready. At the same time, you can use any dressing to give some extra flavor to your patacones. You can use mayonnaise or any other sauce that you’ve made at home or have at your disposal.
There are people who even use hot sauce for an extra kick of flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 beef strips (400 g)
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder (15 g)
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce (30 ml)
- ½ a chopped white onion
- 1 tablespoon of annatto powder (15 g)
- 1 cup of mayonnaise (250 ml)
Check out this article too: Delicious Banana Cake Recipe
Instructions
- Start by placing the beef strips in a medium pot with water, salt, Worcestershire sauce, the finely chopped onion, a touch of spice (optional) and cook for 15 minutes over high heat.
- Once the water evaporates, remember to stir with a wooden spoon so the ingredients mix well.
- Try the beef to make sure it’s seasoned perfectly. If it needs more flavor, you can add a touch of salt and garlic powder.
- After the beef stew is ready, remove from heat and set aside.
- Serve them on top of the patacones and season with mayonnaise or any other sauce you’d like. Bon appetit!
