Culinary Explorer
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Plátano Macho Frito Colimense
Created by Chef Lupita
Colima's ripe plátano macho, fried in shallow oil until the edges caramelize, then finished with Mexican crema and cotija for the sweet-salty side that belongs beside beans, rice, and fish.
Colima's Pacific coast is where this plátano macho makes sense: Tecomán, Manzanillo, the hot lowland kitchens where bananas and plantains grow close enough that the fruit arrives at the mercado heavy, sweet, and ready for the skillet.
This is a side dish, not a dessert pretending to be dinner. The ripe plantain gives you sweetness, the aceite de maíz gives you clean frying, the crema softens it, and the cotija brings salt. That balance is why it sits next to arroz blanco and frijoles de la olla without apology. A good plate of beans needs a sweet counterpoint. The women who cook the comida corrida on the coast know this already.
Do not make this with green plantains. Green plantains belong to another preparation. Do not drown them in cinnamon and sugar unless you are making something else. Here the plantain is ripe, sliced thick, fried until golden, salted while hot, and served family-style on clay. Recetas probadas y garantizadas. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.
Ingredients
very ripe plátanos machos
Quantity
3
skins mostly black with a little yellow remaining
aceite de maíz or other neutral vegetable oil
Quantity
1 cup
for frying
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| very ripe plátanos machosskins mostly black with a little yellow remaining | 3 |
| aceite de maíz or other neutral vegetable oilfor frying | 1 cup |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
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