Tostones are everything. I have loved them since I was little and honestly refuse to turn over to Team Maduro. I like sweet plantains, but meh, I'd rather have the crunchy, savory, salty, and garlicky bites to go with my food rather than the soft nuggets of sweetness. Twice-fried plantains are great as snacks, to accompany many of our traditional Puerto Rican dishes, and often make great vessels for dips and sauces. You can even get a press that makes tostones rellenos, which are cute, little plantain cups to stuff with meats and sauces.

This recipe is pretty simple and straightforward, so I figured I would share it with you guys. If you can find really green plantains, the better these will turn out! Once the plantain starts to turn yellow and ripens up, you'll end up with maduros or amarillos, which are the sweet plantains and are cooked differently than written below.

Tostones (Twice-Fried Plantains)

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

4 large green plantains, peeled, ends cut, and sliced into small chunks on a bias

Kosher salt, to taste

Granulated garlic, to taste

In a large pot or dutch oven, add enough oil to deep fry the plantains. Over medium heat, get the oil ready for frying. While the oil is heating up, peel the plantains and slice them into at least one inch pieces on a bias. To cut the plantain and get the skin off, cut the ends off and then slice down the skin on the "seams" of the fruit with a knife. Score it around the plantain four times on each seam and then pry the skin off. It's a pretty tough and stiff skin, so you might need a butter knife to help pry the skin away from the fruit.

Also, a not so fun fact: if your plantains are very, very green, your fingers might get a little stained from the liquid that is released from the fruit, so wear gloves if you must. I don't mind them and often find that the black-brownish stains fade after a solid hand wash with hot, soapy water. Be careful about it getting on your clothes though!

Okay, so once you have the plantains cut into pieces and the oil is hot enough, fry them in batches until they're all golden brown and pretty. This is the first part of the cooking process and making sure they're relatively done on the outside before smashing and frying them again.

The next step will be to smash the plantains with a tostonera (plantain press). If you don't have a tostonera, you can easily use a tortilla press, a small plate, or even the bottom of a heavy mug or cup to press down the plantain on the cutting board. You want to press them down hard enough to form small, thin discs like below. Once they’re pressed, the insides of the plantain are going to be a lighter shade than the outside that’s been fried already, that’s what you’re looking for!

Quick little tip: at this stage, you can briefly dunk them into a small bowl of water seasoned with lots of freshly crushed garlic cloves and adobo spice blend for an extra pop of flavor before frying them. Just make sure to drain any excess water before placing the tostones in the oil. I like doing this when I have additional time but it’s optional. Whatever you prefer!

Then, once you have the flattened plantains ready, add them back to the oil in small batches to avoid overcrowding. The lighter colored part of the toston that is photographed above is the raw plantain. When they're pressed down like this and fried again, it gives a chance for it to get cooked through without overcooking the fruit itself. Think of it like frying french fries for the second time to get them crispy after the first blanching. Same concept!

When the plantains are golden in color and start to float in the oil, they're ready to be removed. Drain them on a paper towel lined plate or wire baking rack and liberally season them with kosher salt and granulated garlic as soon as they come out of the oil.

I like having mine with a quick mayo-ketchup or with mojo de ajo sauce (garlic oil). Honestly, I didn't feel like mincing fresh garlic this round for the mojo, so I stuck with mayo-ketchup! Also known as salsa rosada, salsa golf, or fry sauce for Americanos, it's a mixture of good mayonnaise (this is a Duke's only household) and ketchup with a few spices.

I know, I know. I can see your face scrunching up right now. Mayonnaise AND ketchup with plantains? How is this Puerto Rican? But it's one of the most quintessentially Puerto Rican things you can eat! It's even bottled and sold in the condiment aisle at grocery stores back home. So, don't knock it until you try it. I've converted many a mayo-hater with this sauce and have quite a few friends that I make tostones for that won't eat them without mayo-ketchup. I use it for fries, tostones, burgers, and sandwiches. It's bomb! For my sauce, I season the mayonnaise and ketchup blend with kosher salt, black pepper, adobo seasoning, and a little splash of hot sauce. Easy, slightly bad for you, and delicious.

Tostones are often served with practically every traditional Puerto Rican meal, my favorite being rice and beans. They're our version of French fries. You could also make them solo and have them as a snack or topped with a fresh salsa or guacamole. Or even make a take on nachos. Whatever's clever! Once you have them though? You'll be converted AND hooked.

¡Buen provecho!