thegrova
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Can anyone enlighten me on what a plantain actually is!
As far as I know, plaintains are like bananas except that they need to be cooked and have a higher starch content. Here are some pictures of what they look like.thegrova said:Can anyone enlighten me on what a plantain actually is!
Mark Webster said:I did work down in Key West for a few years and had the opportunity to enjoy many cuban dishes. Roasted pork is a great entree with some yellow rice, black beans and of course fried plantains.
A great Cuban sandwich can be made with a couple slices of roasted pork, sliced ham, a white melting cheese (even a provolone), a dill pickle slice and a couple drops of hot sauce. Use a sour dough bread or another hearty bread, brush with melted butter and grill.
Mark
thegrova, if you can wait, I can elaborate a little more. I just finished writing a column about unusual fruits in the market. Plantains was one of the fruits I discussed.thegrova said:Can anyone enlighten me on what a plantain actually is!
BreezyCooking said:I learned how to make fried plantains from a Puerto Rican friend of mine. The trick is to double fry them.
She peeled & sliced them, then pan-fried them in hot vegetable oil on both sides until they were just lightly browned. Removed them from the pan & allowed them to drain/cool on paper towels. She then, using a flat meat mallet or the side of a large knife, gently crushed/smashed each piece lightly & refried them again on each side to a nice deep golden color. They were crispy on the outside; soft & tender on the inside. Taste is rather potato-like, with a light banana overtone. Underripe ones will be more potato-like; riper ones will be slightly more banana-like.
Poutine said:a plantain is a banana
the yellow bananas that we refer to as bananas are actually "dessert bananas" (the yellow Cavendish species is most common)
a plantain is also called a "cooking banana"
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