Platanitos
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
- Lard (traditional) or corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil for deep-frying
- 2 medium-ripe plantains (yellow-green, not green, yellow, or yellow-black), peeled (page 472)
- Lime wedges
- Mix together the salt and cayenne.
- Set aside.
- Put at least 1 inch of lard or oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan.
- The broader the vessel, the more of these you can cook at once, but the more oil you will use.
- (They cook very quickly, so dont worry if your pan is narrow.)
- Turn the heat to medium-high; you want the temperature to be at 350F (on a deep-fat thermometer) when you start cooking.
- While the fat is heating, shave the plantains, using a vegetable peeler, a sharp knife, or a mandoline set to just about the thinnest setting.
- If you are using a peeler, press down with some pressure so that the slices are not too thin.
- Traditionally, theyre cut the long way (a mandoline makes this easy), but you can make round chips if you find it easier.
- Fry as many slices at once as will fit without crowding, turning if necessary.
- Total cooking time will be about 2 minutes; the chips should not brown but turn a deeper yellow.
- Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels or paper bags.
- Sprinkle with the salt-cayenne mixture and lime juice and serve immediately.
- Yucca Chips.
- Substitute 2 yuccas, peeled and halved crosswise, for the plantains.
- Put in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and cook until tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.
- Drain, cool, then slice as thin as possible and fry as directed.
salt, cayenne, corn, plantains, wedges
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/platanitos-385575 (may not work)