Panamanian recipe
How to make Patacones
The whole country
Slices of green plantain fried, flattened and fried again until golden and crisp, then sprinkled with salt. They come with almost everything: fried fish, meat, ceviche, or simply on their own as a snack.
Ingredients
- 2 large green (unripe) plantains
- Oil for frying, about 2 cm deep
- Salt
- A lime, cut into wedges (optional)
Method
- Cut the ends off the plantains, slit the skin along its length and peel it off. Cut the plantains into slices about 3 cm thick.
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to about 170°C. Fry the slices for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until pale golden but not brown. Lift them out onto kitchen paper.
- Flatten each slice to about 1 cm thick by pressing it with the bottom of a heavy glass or between two sheets of baking paper.
- Fry the flattened slices again in the hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp and golden. Take care with the hot oil.
- Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt at once and serve hot, with lime wedges if you like.
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In Panama and much of South America they are called patacones; in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico the same thing is called tostones.
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