Plátano Macho Frito Colimense

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 10-inch cast iron skillet or thick-bottomed frying pan
• •Thin metal spatula
• •Wire rack or paper towels for draining
• •Wide hand-thrown clay plate for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the plantains

   Use plátanos machos with skins that are mostly black and soft when pressed gently. Yellow plantains are starchy and will fry firm, not sweet. Green plantains are for tostones and other dishes. This recipe needs ripe fruit, the kind a market vendor in Colima will hand you when you say you are frying them today.

2. 2

   Peel and slice

   Cut off both ends of each plantain. Make one shallow slit down the length of the peel and pull the skin away. Slice on a diagonal into pieces about 1/2 inch thick. The diagonal gives more surface to brown. Thin slices burn before the center softens. Thick slices stay heavy. Half an inch is the point.

3. 3

   Heat the oil

   Pour the aceite de maíz into a heavy skillet so it sits about 1/4 inch deep. Heat over medium until a small corner of plantain sizzles the moment it touches the oil. Do not use butter. Butter burns before the plantain caramelizes. You want steady frying, not smoke.

4. 4

   Fry until golden

   Lay the plantain slices in one layer without crowding. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until the edges turn deep golden and the centers look soft and glossy. The sugar in the ripe plantain is doing the work. If the oil is too hot, the outside goes dark while the inside stays dense. Lower the heat and behave yourself.

   Wipe the spatula between batches if caramelized sugar sticks to it. Burned sugar gives the next batch a bitter edge.
5. 5

   Drain and salt

   Lift the fried plantains onto a paper towel or a wire rack. Sprinkle with the fine sea salt while they are still glossy from the oil. Salt is not optional here. It sharpens the sweetness and keeps the dish from tasting like dessert.

6. 6

   Finish at the table

   Arrange the plátanos on a warm clay plate. Spoon Mexican crema over the top and scatter the crumbled cotija. Serve beside arroz blanco, frijoles de la olla, grilled fish, or shredded chicken. This is not a chile dish. Not all Mexican food is trying to burn your mouth. Cada estado, su propia cocina.

Chef Tips

• •Buy the plantains from a mercado if you can. Ask for plátano macho maduro para freír hoy. If the vendor gives you firm yellow fruit, she is selling you tomorrow's plantain, not today's.
• •A black peel is not rot. With plátano macho, black skin means the starch has converted to sugar. If the flesh smells fermented or feels wet and collapsed, then it has gone too far.
• •Cotija should be salty and crumbly, not rubbery. If you cannot find cotija, use queso seco or a firm queso añejo. A substitution is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •Do not crowd the skillet. Plantains release sugar into the oil, and crowded slices stick together and tear. Fry in batches like a person with patience.

Advance Preparation

• •Slice the plantains only right before frying. Once peeled, ripe plantain darkens and becomes sticky.
• •Fried plantains are best eaten the same day. To rewarm, place them on a dry comal or skillet over medium-low heat until the edges soften and the surface turns glossy again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)