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Plantains are such a versatile fruit, yet it is so
misunderstood. Referred to as a cooking banana,
plantains are extremely popular in Latin American,
Caribbean and Asia. Plantains resemble bananas, but are
longer, thicker and starchier in flavor. In their native
countries plantains are used more like a vegetable than
a fruit.They can be prepared in all, Stages of ripeness.
Plantains are usually serve fried, baked, mashed,
sautéed, or even microwaved, with nearly no waste and
with excellent taste. |
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Use:
Green or greenish plantains, which
are very hard and starchy, have little banana flavor and
no sweetness. They are generally cooked in the same ways
as potatoes and require comparable cooking time. They
are best when thin - fried as chips, made into tostones,
or boiled in chunks to be added to salty, spicy soups or
stews. |
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Yellow - ripe
plantains can be used in these same ways, and will have
a lovely creamy texture and light banana scent, once
cooked. They are more tender than green plantains, but
nowhere near as soft as bananas. You can rinse them, cut
in fairly wide crosswise sections, and boil; then peel
and serve as a side dish. Add them to soups, stews, and
vegetable mixtures - peeling before or after cooking, as
you prefer (they hold their shape better with peel).
Mash the cooked, peeled plantain, mixing with Sauté or
deep - fry plantain slices - diagonals, rounds, or full
lengths - to accompany roasts, stews, or broiled meat.
Or rinse the plantain. trim the ends, and slit it
lengthwise; bake about 45 minutes in a moderate oven and
serve as you would a sweet potato. |
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Preparation |
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If you wish
to peel the plantain before cooking, the way you go
about it depends on the particular fruit and its stage
of ripeness. Black - ripe fruit can usually be peeled as
you would a banana. Other stages are unpredictable; most
require this treatment: Rinse the plantain and trim the
ends, Cuts fruit across in 2 - 4 sections, depending on
size. The very thick, stiff peel is then cut lengthwise
along its four ridges. Remove each strip of skin,
starting at a corner and pulling slightly crosswise,
rather than down the length of each strip. Remove woody
fibers, if necessary, with a paring kniffe. |
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