Mrs. Mitchell: Plantain Chips

Plantain chips are very near and dear to my heart. I'd never liked them before Josh took me to Levi's Key West Fishouse on our first date (I didn't know it was a date at the time. I thought I was just getting a free meal from the cute guy across the dorm courtyard who liked me and had a car). We definitely bonded over our love of all things seafood and Caribbean cuisine. He ordered plantain chips for an appetizer and they came sprinkled with garlic salt and served with mango chutney. It was one of the best things I'd ever eaten and when we started living together, we made them all the time. This is another one of those crowd pleaser recipes that everyone always loves.

The hardest thing about this recipe is finding plantains at the right level of ripeness. Bananas are best for cooking when they're almost brown but I like to use plantains when they're green. Yellow and brown ones are fine for making maduros or soft chips, but I'll be making crunchy chips and tostones.

Start with a couple green plantains. As an appetizer, one per person is enough.

Slice just through the skin lengthwise once on either side. Carefully slide your thumb under the skin and gently peel it off.

The chips and tostones start out similarly. For the chips, cut the plantain into very thin slices, a little thinner than 1/4". For the tostones, make 1" slices.

Put them into a cold water bath for a couple minutes. This gets rid of some of the starch and makes the chips crispier.

We'll make the chips first. Dry the slices thoroughly and put them in a pan with about 3/4" of 325 degree oil. Don't put in more than you see here or else the oil temperature will drop and the chips will cook too slowly to get crispy.

If you use a Frydaddy, it will tell you when the oil is right but if you use a pan like I did, you really should use a candy thermometer for the best results. If you don't have one, drip a drop of water in the oil and when it sizzles, the oil is about right. Not knowing the temperature, you need to watch the chips carefully.

When the chips are golden brown, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain on some paper towels.

Now for the tostones. Take the big chunks out of the water and dry them thoroughly just like the chips. Carefully place them cut side down in the 325 degree oil. Let them fry for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip them over and cook the other side until it is also golden brown.