How to Cook Sweet Yellow Plantains

Use fully ripe plantains for this recipe.

Enjoy a little taste of the tropics with this recipe for Platanos Maduros, or sweet fried plantains. If you have eaten at a Cuban restaurant, then it is likely you've at least seen this dish on a menu. It seems no Cuban meal is complete without an order of sweet plantains to finish everything off. Usually green plantains are used as a starch similar to potatoes and ripe yellow plantains are used in desserts such as this one.

Things You'll Need

• 2 plantains
• Paring knife
• Plate
• 4 tbsp. brown sugar
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. rum
• Serving dish
• Sour cream or whipped cream for garnish

Instructions

1. Slice two ripe plantains at an angle, yielding long thin sections. Place the slices on a plate containing the brown sugar. Turn the slices over to coat both sides lightly with sugar.

2. Place a small saute pan on the stove and add the butter over medium low heat. Once the butter has melted, begin adding the plantain slices in a single layer.

3. Fry the plantains in the butter until the bottoms turn golden brown and then flip them with a spatula.

4. Add the rum to the melted butter, stirring to distribute it throughout.

5. Continue cooking until the sugar on the plantains caramelizes. Watch them carefully; the sugar can go from caramel to burnt very quickly. They are done when the sugar turns a darker shade of brown.

6. Remove the plantains onto a serving dish and garnish with sour cream or whipped cream.

Tips & Warnings

• This recipe yields three normal servings or two indulgent desserts.

References

• Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban; Cuban Food Recipe: Platanos Maduros (Fried Plantains); Jorge Castillo et al.; 2011
• Food Network; Sweet Plantains; Tyler Florence; 2009