Tostones con mojito (Fried Plantains with Mojito Sauce)

A - MAKE THE 'MOJITO' FIRST:

That way you will have it ready for dipping when the tostones are done!

Ingredients:

2 Garlic cloves, chopped
Juice from 1 lemon (1 1/2 - 2 ounces)
1 ounce of Canola oil (or corn oil)
1 ounce of Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 teaspoons of white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
Dash of black pepper

Procedure:

1- Place the garlic into a morter (pilón) and grind about 1 minute.

2-Add the lemon juice to a small bowl and transfer the garlic from the morter to the bowl with the lemon juice.

3- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. It's now ready to use.

Note: an optional pinch of salt may be added in step 3.


B - MAKE THE 'TOSTONES' NEXT:

Ingredients:

3 Green Plantains or Green Bananas
Vegetable Oil
Salted Water
Salt or Adobo to Taste (optional)

Procedure:

1- Peel the plantains or bananas under running water or in a large bowl--this is to prevent staining your hands. Also, green plantains do not peel as easily as ripe ones, and the water helps the peeling process.

2-Cut 1 inch slices of plantain straight across or at a 45 degree angle.

3- Place in a bowl of salted water to prevent them from turning brown.

4- In a deep fryer or frying pan, heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to aproximately 325 degrees (F).

5- Remove the plantains from water, placing them in a bowl with paper towels. Remove as much water from them before placing them in the hot oil. If you don't dry them off well, the oil will splatter. Use caution during this step!

6- Cook in oil until they are firm. Approximately 4 - 5 minutes. Remove from oil and let cool off.

7- Now you must flatten them. In Puerto Rico we use a "Tostonera" to flatten them, however a 10x5 inch piece of aluminium paper works fine. Placing the firmed plantains in the middle of the aluminium paper, press down with the palm of your hand to flatten. Place on plate and season with salt or adobo.

8- Now you're ready to fry until golden brown. This will only take several minutes.

9- When done, let the tostones drain any excess oil on a plate with paper towels.

¡Buen Provecho!


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Tips for tostones:

Adjust the thickness of each slice to your own preference- thinner slices will be toastier, thicker slices will be more tender.

When frying, don't crowd too many tostones in the pan, to avoid uneven cooking.

You don't necessarily have to use the mojito for the tostones- some prefer them to be seasoned (after cooking) only with "Adobo" instead!

The 'mojito' used here is also used as a marinade for meats, such as 'pernil' (roast pork).

The 'mojito' can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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