Plantain?

Plantain?

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Ran across 'plantains' in a recipe from NOB. Is a 'plantain' what we'd call a 'platano macho' down here (the ones used for frying)?

Thanks

E&F

Rolly

Nov 15, 2005, 4:22 PM

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Plantain?

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Yes

Rolly Pirate

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Ed and Fran

Nov 15, 2005, 4:29 PM

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Re: [Rolly] Plantain?

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Thanks

song_of_joy

Nov 15, 2005, 6:45 PM

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Plantain?

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Plantain? Okay.

But the name is so delightfully Freudian in Spanish.
; )

jennifer rose

Nov 15, 2005, 6:48 PM

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Plantain?

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While we're on the topic of platanos machos, how about a recipe for cooking them Cuban-style?

Rolly

Nov 15, 2005, 7:23 PM

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Re: [jennifer rose] Plantain?

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It would appear there are many Cuban ways to do up a platano. Here is what my friend Sr Google has to say on the subject: http://www.google.com/...0within%C2%A0results

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MazDee

Nov 15, 2005, 9:37 PM

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Plantain?

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Yes, plantains are platanos machos. They are delicious sliced and fried crisp. I have never tried to do it as it looks like a lot of trouble, but I have recipes if anyone is interested. You peel and thickly slice the platano macho, fry and then drain the slices, then bash them flat and fry again until crisp. They are good. Apparently this is a Cuban recipe but I never have been there.

Nov 16, 2005, 6:22 AM

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Re: [MazDee] Plantain?

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MazDee, your recipe is called tostones and is prepared using unripened (green) plátanos machos. Tostones are salted and served like potato chips, with a bottled salsa for a hint of picante. You're right, the recipe comes from Cuba as well as other places in the Caribbean.

Plátanos machos are also allowed to ripen fully--until the skin turns black and the plátanos are soft. Peel and slice into thick (1/4"+) slices. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet until it's very hot but not smoking. Fry the slices of plátano macho until they are golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper toweling and serve as a side dish. They will not be crisp, but are soft and sweet. These are also Caribbean.

They are addictive, to say the least.

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Gayla

Nov 16, 2005, 1:47 PM

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Re: [esperanza] Plantain?

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And take those platanos machos that you've prepared in the 2nd method described by Esperanza, scatter them across a platter of freshly cooked and still steaming plain ol' white rice and then drizzle a generous amount of crema over the whole thing. It may be almost all white, but boy is this a guilty pleasure............

Nov 18, 2005, 10:49 AM

Post #10 of 23 (1665 views)

Re: [Ed and Fran] Plantain?

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Actually, plantains are quite difficult to find in most of the central highlands in Mexico, especially green plantains which are a staple in Caribbean cooking. In the almost five years I have lived in the Greater Guadalajara area, I have found green plaintains only once although I always look for them.

One is more likely to occasionally find the ripe plantains in Jalisco which are too ripe for the plantains' most common use. Local people in this part of Mexico don't understand this fruit.

I actually prefer the plantains that are between the green and ripe stages that have a little sweetness but are still firm. The only way you will run into these in Jalisco is if you are really lucky.

Here is what you do:

Buy some green plantains and let them sit around your kitchen for awhile. When they have yellowed a bit, make this:

Slice the plantains relatively thinly.
Peel a mess of garlic
Fry the plantains in olive oil and salt to taste with the garlic until golden brown

These fried fruits make a great substitute for fried potatoes and that sort of thing.

Serve these with a Caribbean stew of your choosing.

I swear to God, I can buy plantains in any stage of ripeness I desire on any day of the week in the Mission District of San Francisco and if I brought them back to Guadalajara with me people wouldn't know what to do with them.

MazDee

Nov 18, 2005, 8:53 PM

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Re: [Bubba] Plantain?

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Huh...interesting. Here is Maz we have green plantains in the supermarkets all the time. Have never seem them at our central mercado, which is a bit limited in the fruit and veggie department. I don't know who buys all the platanos machos, but obviously somebody besides me does. Maybe you could ask that new Soriano you have to get some. I am going to try Esperanza's 2nd method AND yours soon.

Nov 18, 2005, 9:10 PM

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Re: [Bubba] Plantain?

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Geez, Bubba, let me know when you want green plantains and how many you want. They are everywhere up here in the Rancho Grande and I will haul you some down there to the Ranchito.

Furthermore, I always found them in abundance at the tianguis in Ajijic.

Where the heck are you shopping? They do NOT carry green plantains at that store over there by SuperLake, at the store where you buy your maguey squeezins.

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(This post was edited by esperanza on Nov 18, 2005, 9:12 PM)

Nov 19, 2005, 8:10 AM

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Re: [MazDee] Plantain?

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Mazdee, I'm not surprised that you find green and I emphasize green plantains in Mazatlan. I was speaking of the highlands where one can find yellow plaintains that are really too sweet for the Caribbean style cooking of which I am fond.

Now, as for you Esperanza, if I am not mistaken, we have an open date for a visit to your tianguis in Guadalajara.. When we go there, if we find true green plantains, lunch is on me. If we also find white asparagus at the WalMartyou mentioned earlier in another thread, I'll bow to your expertise.

Actually, I've found that complaining about the lack of certain types of food to be an effective way of getting people to tell me where to find them so here goes:

In the Jalisco Highlands, I have found not even one naranja agria, the bitter orange so ubiquitous in Yucatan in any commercial market. Esperanza tells me they grow on trees in parts of Guadalajara but apparently they are not in demand so they don't make it to market. This reminds me that the pink peppercorn, extremely prized and expensive in France, grows on trees in the Lake Chapala area and no-one harvests or consumes them.

I am quite fond of conch cooked in several ways and find them in restaurants along the Gulf and Caribbean in Mexico under the name caracol. I nearly made the mistake of ordering "caracol" in a well-known mariscos restaurant in Guadalajara and, had I not stopped the waiter, I think I was about to be served snails. Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to where to find conch hereabouts so I don't have to drive all the way to Merida or Veracruz for this treat. Perhaps the Mercado del Mar in Zapopan but I've not seen them there in several visits.

Now, as for green plantains at the tianguis in Ajijic. In your dreams, Esperanza.

As for my recipe for cooking green plantain, while there is no comparison in the eating experience, camotes fried in olive oil with garlic are quite good and make a good accompaniment to Caribbean stews..

Esteban

Nov 19, 2005, 8:37 AM

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Re: [Bubba] Plantain?

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I'd like to add that we have a species of caracol here in Mazatlan that is NOT Konk. It's used in Campechana extensively.

Nov 19, 2005, 9:18 AM

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Re: [Esteban] Plantain?

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Perhaps the "caracol" you are talking about may be what is called a scallop elsewhere. I don't know.

I believe the tree with the pink peppercorns I refered to earlier is called a Pirul Tree or a Brazilian Peppertree.

Conch, like abalone, has to be pounded to be edible. The way I have seen it served in Yucatan is as a flattened steak, perhaps breaded and sauteed in butter and garlic. It is similar to, if less flavorful than abalone.

Nov 19, 2005, 12:04 PM

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Re: [Bubba] Plantain?

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My Nicaraguan ex-mother-in-law (well, loosely speaking) made sopa de caracol that was completely out of this world. I've never found a recipe to equal it--conch, tender as butter, stewed in coconut milk and some secret ingredients known only to her until it was conch soup. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

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Ed and Fran

Nov 19, 2005, 3:32 PM

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Re: [Bubba] Plantain?

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In the Jalisco Highlands, I have found not even one naranja agria, the bitter orange so ubiquitous in Yucatan in any commercial market. Esperanza tells me they grow on trees in parts of Guadalajara but apparently they are not in demand so they don't make it to market.

Suspect she's right. Here, in the heart of Orange County, Veracruz, the variety of naranja agria most common is the naranja cucho. We use it now and then as a marinade base, usually for that thin cut carne asada. but I don't know any of our area growers who actually try to commercialize it.

Actually, most of the young orange trees raised here for transplanting are grafted onto cucho rootstocks. Every once in a while the grafted part of one of our new transplants won't make it and we're left with a naranja cucho tree.

Regards

E&F

Esteban

Nov 19, 2005, 3:42 PM

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Re: [Bubba] Plantain?

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Well in this neck of the woods, scallop, as I know it NOB, is called Callos de Acha. It ain't that. This is a large sea snail type thing that is black and white and is not even close to scallop or konk. I'll try and do a little research and find this animal. I have to admit. the campechana is incredible. It consists of shrimp, octopus, scallops, oyster, clam, squid and caracol all in a rich "que enchilada" base de sopa tomate. The small ones come in what I used think of as a thick tall glass for a malt at the five and dime.

MazDee

Nov 20, 2005, 11:13 PM

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Re: [Bubba] Plantain?

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As for my recipe for cooking green plantain, while there is no comparison in the eating experience, camotes fried in olive oil with garlic are quite good and make a good accompaniment to Caribbean stews..

Or instead of the olive oil cook some bacon first and cook the camotes in the bacon fat. Delicious! Your recipe is a little more heart-healthy. But sometimes...

Nov 21, 2005, 8:13 AM

Post #20 of 23 (1518 views)

Re: [MazDee] Plantain?

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Good God, Mazdee:

Are you trying to kill me? Mah mama always kept the bacon grease for frying all kinds of things. Thank God we never thought of frying sweet potatoes in bacon fat or we'd all be dead by now.

Excuse me, I've got to go to the tianguis to buy some camotes and bacon.

Nov 23, 2005, 4:41 PM

Post #21 of 23 (1485 views)

Re: [Ed and Fran] Plantain?

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Scene this morning in the Chapala Municipal Market:

The Fat Boy walks from place to place seeking green plantains.

Third market from the entrance and third request:

"Tiene platanos machos verdes?"

"No, Senor, solamente maduros."

There, in front of Tubs, were the usual overripe plantains which taste like a sorry excuse for bananas and are as useless for Caribbean style cooking as tits on a boar hog.

I will, however, on my next trip to the Jalisco coast, bring back some platanos machos verdes and report back my experience.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Nov 23, 2005, 5:09 PM)

Nov 23, 2005, 5:44 PM

Post #22 of 23 (1478 views)

Re: [Bubba] Plantain?

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Scene this morning from tianguis in Guadalajara:

Wandered from vegetable booth to vegetable booth, sited piles of plátanos machos verdes. Did not buy any for the Bubbas. Will wait for the Bubbas to come to call. Of course, that day there will be no plátanos machos verdes, making a liar out of yours truly.

Resisted eating a coctel de camarón.

There was a wandering cheese seller with young provolone, tied up with rope. The cheese tied up one on each end of the rope, not the guy tied up. The taste of provolone I had was divine, soft, rich and slightly crumbly. Wonder where it came from and if the same guy will ever be back. I'd never seen him before.

The tejocotes are here, it's time for ponche.

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Nov 24, 2005, 6:31 AM

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