How to cook ripe plantain

Fried plantain works as breakfast, snack or side dish.

Plantains are a starchy member of the banana family widely used in western African and Caribbean cuisine. While they resemble large bananas, plantains are less sweet and generally used more like a vegetable than a fruit in cooking. As plantains ripen they change from green to yellow to increasingly covered in black. The coloring of a ripe plantain resembles an over-ripe banana, leading many inexperienced cooks to use plantains before they have reached the peak of their flavor.

Things You'll Need

• Plantains
• Knife
• Vegetable oil
• Large frying pan
• Paper towels
• Lime juice (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel the plantains and slice them into diagonal pieces 1/4-inch thick and an inch or two long.

2. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the plantain slices into the oil in a single layer.

3. Fry until golden brown, then turn once to brown the other side. Remove the plantains and place them on paper towels to soak up excess oil. Serve plain or lightly salted and drizzled with a squeeze of lime juice.

References

• Grab 'Em Snacks: What is a Plantain? Plantains vs. Bananas?
• Jamaican Food: Fried Plantains