Jimaca and plantain - how to use them?

[TastyReuben]

At the grocery store now, and in Produce, I see jicama and plantains, both of which I've never used or eaten anywhere else.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

At the grocery store now, and in Produce, I see jicama and plantains, both of which I've never used or eaten anywhere else.

Jicama is an interesting addition to a salad: peel and cut into match-sticks and its a slightly sweet topper with a crisp texture (think crisp like apple or unripe pear).
Plantains are prevalent in the Caribbean: green plantains get peeled, sliced, pressed, and deep fried for a savory side dish; meanwhile ripe plantains are sweet and can either be fried or baked.

 

[Morning Glory]

Jicama is an interesting addition to a salad: peel and cut into match-sticks and its a slightly sweet topper with a crisp texture (think crisp like apple or unripe pear).
Plantains are prevalent in the Caribbean: green plantains get peeled, sliced, pressed, and deep fried for a savory side dish; meanwhile ripe plantains are sweet and can either be fried or baked.

I was hoping you would come in on this!

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

You want a really interesting use of plantain? Try my neighboring island of Puerto Rico where they have a dish called Mofongo!
Mofongo - Wikipedia
Sounds like an aphrodisiac but its basically a mashed-potato-like side dish made with green plantains

 

[TastyReuben]

Sounds like an aphrodisiac but its basically a mashed-potato-like side dish made with green plantains

I originally read that as mofo-n-go, like a little rhyme.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Oh yes! Jicama and plantains!
As FFT says - jicama is a fantastic salad addition. Crispy, crunchy, tasty.
And plantains are used all over the Caribbean and North/Central America.
In Venezuela we have fried plantains, plantain soup, tostones,plantain cake, roasted plantains, boiled plantains, plantains with coconut, mandocas.... ( Plantain thread, Mr Fowler??)

 

[caseydog]

Jicama is an interesting addition to a salad: peel and cut into match-sticks and its a slightly sweet topper with a crisp texture (think crisp like apple or unripe pear).
Plantains are prevalent in the Caribbean: green plantains get peeled, sliced, pressed, and deep fried for a savory side dish; meanwhile ripe plantains are sweet and can either be fried or baked.

Do you double fry your plantains? I cut them into on-inch pieces, par-fry them, smash them with a soup can, and then finish frying them.

CD

 

[caseydog]

You want a really interesting use of plantain? Try my neighboring island of Puerto Rico where they have a dish called Mofongo!
Mofongo - Wikipedia
Sounds like an aphrodisiac but its basically a mashed-potato-like side dish made with green plantains

Yes, you can find it all over Puerto Rico. There are even some little roadside stands with mofongo (at least there were when my parents lived there in the 80s).

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hcdpNW5Hco


CD

 

[karadekoolaid]

Do you double fry your plantains? Cut them into on-inch pieces, par-fry them, smash them with a soup can, and then finish frying them.

Yep. They´re called "tostones". You need a green, or green-ish plantain to do that; the ripe ones are no good.
By the way, ripe plantains look like this:

Don´t compare them with bananas - these are delicious, even though they look over-ripe.

 

[medtran49]

You have to be really careful cooking the really ripe plantains. They have so much sugar content they burn easily. I've been soaking them in salted water after bias slicing, patting them dry, then gently pan frying. One of my favorite Cuban places cooks them this way.

You can also thinly slice, use a mandolin, the unripe plantains either crosswise or lengthwise very thinly and fry like potato chips. Serve with mojo as a dipping sauce.

You can also use the unripe ones to make tostone cups, fry first as described above, then mash/shape around a shot glass, fry again, then use to serve something like cevice.

Agree about the jicama. It's a great root vege to use.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Do you double fry your plantains? Cut them into on-inch pieces, par-fry them, smash them with a soup can, and then finish frying them.

View attachment 76822

CD

This is the way my friend!

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Yep. They´re called "tostones". You need a green, or green-ish plantain to do that; the ripe ones are no good.
By the way, ripe plantains look like this:
View attachment 76806
Don´t compare them with bananas - these are delicious, even though they look over-ripe.

If you're in a Hispanic restaurant (at least here in FL) this is your guide to ordering:
Tostones = fried green plantains, crunchy and savory!
Maduros = fried ripe plantains, sweet, soft, very easy to burn in frying pan

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

You have to be really careful cooking the really ripe plantains. They have so much sugar content they burn easily. I've been soaking them in salted water after bias slicing, patting them dry, then gently pan frying. One of my favorite Cuban places cooks them this way.

You can also thinly slice, use a mandolin, the unripe plantains either crosswise or lengthwise very thinly and fry like potato chips. Serve with mojo as a dipping sauce.

You can also use the unripe ones to make tostone cups, fry first as described above, then mash/shape around a shot glass, fry again, then use to serve something like cevice.

Agree about the jicama. It's a great root vege to use.

So true about frying the ripe plantains and the Tostone "cups" are an excellent idea (I've served that with home made blackfin tuna poke and yellowtail snapper ceviche).

 

[PabloLerntKochen]

Fried plantains are great, but I also like how they're used just like a potato in Africa, e.g. in stews. The very ripe ones are also delicious in desserts.