fourservingsPlantains have been an integral part of my life. Growing up, we ate it in every form; boiled, fried, we dried the skin to use in our soups and the leaves were used to wrap up our puddings. How I love plantains! In this recipe, I fried ripe plantains with Quatre Epices which turned out to be an absolute delight.
‘If life show you Pepper, make Pepper soup’
An African Proverb
Is banana a type of plantain or is plantain a type of banana? Well! It does not matter. Plantain is a banana look-alike. Unlike bananas, they are larger in size, with thicker skin and primarily used in savory dishes.
The most difficult part of this recipe, is having to wait for your plantains to ripen. Ripe plantains are sold in every African and Hispanic grocery stores . Unfortunately, there are times when you have to buy green (unripe) plantains and wait till they turn yellow (ripe). In order to hasten this process, place the plantains in a paper bag and store in a well ventilated area away from direct sunlight. In most cases, the kitchen will be perfect for ripening plantains. Once it is a uniform yellow with no green parts, then the fruit is ready to be enjoyed. This will take about three days.
What can I eat plantains with?
I dare say, It is the perfect side for almost everything.
What is Quatre Epices?
This is a French Spice mix which is not limited to four ingredients as the name implies. The blend includes: Nutmeg, white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and ground ginger.
Fried Ripe Plantains with “Quatre Epices”
Ingredients
- 3 ripe plantains
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Quatre Epices (check out notes above)
- 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Chop off the two ends of the plantains and score the skin lengthwise in order to lift the peel. Gently pull the entire peel away from the plantain.
- Slice plantain into your desired shape making sure it is an inch thick.
- Evenly coat with salt and Quatre epices.
- Pour the vegetable oil into a frying pan, and bring the heat up to medium-low.
- Fry plantains in two intervals : Carefully add the plantain to oil and cook for 5minutes on each side or till it is golden brown in color.
- Using a slotted spoon, take plantains out and place on a paper towel in order to get rid of excess oil.
- Serve and enjoy.
