Tostones with garlic and lime sauce
Serves 4 as a side. About 35 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3 green plantains (about 900g)
- Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
- Salt
Garlic and lime sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 80ml olive oil
- 60ml lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 yellow habanero, seeds removed and very finely chopped (optional)
- A small handful of coriander or flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
- Make the sauce first so the flavours can settle. Crush the garlic with the salt to a paste, using a mortar and pestle or the flat of a knife. Stir in the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, habanero and herbs. It should be sharp and very garlicky. Wash your hands well after handling the habanero.
- Peel the plantains: cut off the ends, slit the skin along its length and prise it off. Cut them into rounds about 3cm thick.
- Heat about 2cm of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the rounds for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until pale gold and just tender when poked with a knife. They shouldn't brown yet. Drain on paper towel.
- While they are still warm, flatten each round to about 1cm thick. Put it on a board lined with baking paper and press down with the base of a heavy glass or a small saucepan.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high. Fry the flattened rounds again for 2 to 3 minutes a side, until deep gold and crisp at the edges. Drain, salt well and serve hot, with the sauce for dipping.
Tip: Use the sauce on the day you make it. You can do the first fry and the flattening a few hours ahead, then fry them a second time just before serving. The same garlic and lime sauce is good spooned over grilled fish or chicken.
