Big Bend Florida Sportsman Guide

Recipes

Tato's Caribbean Cuisine

By Chef Tato Reyes

 Tostones

Many of you have approached me to learn how to make Tostones. Here is how it is done. Just so you know in a typical BBB, we fry over 1000 Tostones and there has never been one left over.

Tostones are made out of Plantains. Plantains are a variety of banana that can only be eaten when cooked. You can use them at different levels of ripeness and the flavor will vary, I prefer the green plantain for Tostones.


If you are planning a party, you can make them in advance; freeze them and bag them in Zip lock bags and then give them the 2nd fry before you serve them.

The first thing you do is to cut the tips on both
ends of the plantain

Then you soak them in hot water for a few minutes to
 make the peel soft and easy to remove.


Remove the peel using a blunt or round point knife

Then cut the plantain in 3/4 of an inch pieces like seen in this picture

I like to soak them in salt water for 15 minutes to season them.

The next step is to deep fry them for about 15 minutes to cook them or give them "the first fry". They need to be cooked but not crispy, that will be achieved on the "second fry". I like Peanut oil, it takes more heat without burning.

After the "first fry" I let them cool off for a few minutes and then
proceed to the next step. Do not let them cool off completely or you won't be able to smash them. They need to be hot-warm.

This is when we use the famous "tostonera" to smash the plantain as shown in this sequence. You will develop the feel for the amount of pressure needed to get them the correct size.



Once smashed, I let them cool off for a few minutes before I bag them.
If to hot, they tend to crumble in your hands, so let them cool off and gain some firmness. It is at this point that you would do the second fry if you wanted to serve them right away. This time will will store them in freezer bags for a future time.


I use Zip-Lock Bags when I don't have a vacuum sealer.
They will remain fresh for over a month in your freezer.

Then I will put them in the freezer... Oh my God!!! What is that behind the Tostones??? They look like lobsters!!!! They may eat the Tostones, maybe I should move them to another location within the freezer?!?!?!?!
What a problem!!!!!

Oh my God! What is under those Tostones, it looks like a load of vacuum sealed Mahi-Mahi fillets, I hope they don't attack the Tostones?? What a problem, I have no more freezer space, tomorrow I will buy another stand up freezer as a back up!

When ready to offer them to your guest or family, just open the bag and fry them in hot oil until crispy but not burned. They will float to the top of the oil when they are almost ready.

I hope you enjoy the recipe! Sorry about the lobsters, I could not resist... We had a great lobstering trip to the Keys and honestly I filled up my freezer with lobsters and Mahi-Mahi.

JUST REMEMBER... IF TATO CAN COOK, SO DO YOU!!!