Tostones Rellenos "When you think it is perfect, it just becomes better"

Tostones or Patacones, whatever the name it is a dish which has crossed over in the food world.  I'll leave it up to the Simple Chef™, with his great product Tostobueno ® "The Ultimate Tostonera"

CROSSING OVER THE GREEN PLANTAIN . . . OUR INSPIRATION . by The Simple Chef™,

Earlier in the evening a woman had told me she needed to smoke a cigarette when she finished the apples and toston and ice cream concoction. You get the inference there. By the end of the night the word had spread throughout the rustic gymnasium that something special was going on at our booth. And we were happy to oblige as long as we could. It’s no secret what was happening. We had suddenly made fried green plantains accessible to the eating public. Even Latinos who have spent a lifetime with tostones are finding this everyday foodstuff they’ve eaten sometimes three times a day a versatile platform to build a whole new food craze inside and outside of their communities. It has happened with Italian food, Chinese, Mexican, Thai and their forerunner soul food. Once the food is demystified it becomes accessible. By putting cinnamon apples and ice cream in a tostone cup, it paves the way for more traditional Latin fillings like roast pork, or shrimp in a sofrito sauce.

You can see the Tostonera in action this Saturday at the Hispanic Festival in Coral Gables.  http://www.gableshispanicfestival.com/

Ingredients

3 Green Plantains

2 cans of Cherry, Lemon, Apple Pie Filling. Your favorite brand

1 bottle of Whipped Cream. Your favorite brand

8 ounces of Chocolate to melt. Your favorite brand. Melt whatever way you are use to melting chocolateinch Frying four tostones at a time, enough Oil to cover the plantains while frying either a deep fryer or frying pancup A Green Plantain Toston Relleno molder. I prefer the Tostobueno, the Ultimate Tostonera®

Preparation

Step 1
First: Fill large bowl with 3 cups of warm water and 4 tablespoons of garlic salt.

Step 2
Second: Peel green plantains (approx 1 per person). Cut into 2 inch chunks for cups. Place into garlic water to soak (approx 1/2 hour).

Step 3
Third: Heat oil for frying (in a skillet or deep fryer) 360- 365 degrees. Remove plantains from garlic water and dry on a paper towel (to reduce chance of grease splatter). Place plantain pieces in hot oil for 6-7 minutes (or until color changes slightly). Then take them out and let them cool for about 30 seconds.

Step 4
Fourth: Choose the cup side of the Tostobueno®. Spray with cooking spray. Take the fried plantain and place it in the cup side lengthwise. Press down firmly to form the “tasita” or cup and then remove carefully–remember the plantain will still be hot.

Step 5
Fifth: Quickly dip the plantain cup back in the cold water. This will make the plantain pieces crispy when refried. Hold on, almost done…

Step 6
Sixth: Place the molded plantain back into the hot oil one more time for 3 minutes (until golden brown).

Step 7
The Finish —Melt the chocolate. Place toston cup on bed of chocolate. Scoop favorite fruit topping into cup. Top with whipped cream.

Step 8
THIS DESSERT IS ABSOLUTELY DELISH. And very easy to make once the toston peeling, cutting and frying is mastered. For more “How to” pics go to my profile.

Step 9
Http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/how-to-cut-a-green-plantain-for-toston-cups/7239372

Step 10
Http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/how-to-peel-a-green-plantain/6968095/#

Step 12
THE SIMPLE CHEF’s HINTS TO BETTER TOSTON COOKING.

Step 14
In Step 3, removing plantains from garlic water and drying on a paper towel reduces chance of grease splatter when placing the cut green plantain in oil for first fry.

Step 15
In Step 4, spraying the Tostobueno® with cooking spray is only needed the first time the Tostobueno® is used.

Step 16
In Step 5, quickly dipping the plantain cup back in the cold water makes the plantain pieces crispy when refried. After remove pieces from hot oil and placing on a paper towel after second fry, lightly salt with popcorn salt, which is finer and sticks to the plantain better, but any salt is fine or skip this step completely.

Step 17
Remember presentation is everything—and WHEN FRYING ANYTHING, BE CAREFUL!

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Colombian Patacones "Fried Green Plantains"

By Erica from My Columbian Recipes & International Flavors

Patacones are made from green plantains peeled and cut cross-wise. Patacones are fried twice. Patacones are served in restaurants all over Colombia as a side dish for fish dishes or as an appetizer with guacamole, hogao (tomato and onion sauce) or ají (hot salsa).  These are prepared very similar to Cuban Tostones.

INGREDIENTS

Serving Size: 8 patacones
2 Large green plantains
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel the plantains and cut cross-wise into 1/2” slices

2. In a medium heavy pot, add enough vegetable oil to cover the plantain slices and heat the oil over medium high heat.

3. Add the plantain slices to the heated oil in a single layer. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Carefully remove the plantains with a slotted spoon, and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

4. Let the patacones cool for 3 minutes. Then, place the plantains on a piece of plastic wrap and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. With a flat pot cover, press well on the pieces of plantain, flattening them to ¼” thickness.

5. Dip each slice in salted water. Then using tongs add them back in the hot oil in a single layer (you may need to work in batches) and fry for an additional 3 minutes on each side. Be careful when you fry the soaked plantains, as droplets of water will cause the oil to splatter.

6. Remove the patacones with slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb oil, sprinkle with salt, to taste, transfer to a serving plate and serve hot with guacamole, tomato sauce or salsa.

    

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