The Teaspoon: Patacones

by Diana

Patacones are a twice-fried plantain snacks typical from Latin America and the Caribbean. In Venezuela, where I grew up, they are the normally sold in 'chiringuitos' or beach bars at the seaside. But as my family was always quite peculiar and followed its own 'traditions', when going on beach holidays mum always packed snacks for us so it was unusual to buy any other than empanadas then. Some Saturday mornings we would have patacones at home for breakfast, topped with grated carrots, fresh white cheese and drizzled with 'pink sauce'. I loved those mornings when we would seat at the table, Tom and Jerry or Top Cat in the background and not much else to worry or think about rather than looking forward to visiting my grandma, doing errands with mum or going to a birthday party.

As an adult, it's funny how I now associate patacones with going to the beach. I blame Jung's collective unconscious. So when craving a beach escape but then realise I am trapped in an urban jungle, I would recreate Saturday's breakfast at home. Some dishes have that ability to transport us, not only to places, but to people, to memories, to my mum, and they allow us to hold on to our culture and to somehow strengthen our identity. Maybe it's not so much about the beach after all, but a way of going back home and be a child again, and remember there is nothing to really worry about. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 green plantains

Sunflower oil

Salt in flakes

For the 'pink' sauce:

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

1/2 tsp cider vinegar

For the topping:

1-2 grated carrots

150 g grated cheese (I used light Feta, the closest to resemble fresh white cheese).

Method

Peel the plantains and cut them in long slices of about 1/2 cm thick. Heat a pan with sufficient oil to deep fry the slices. Fry them at medium to high heat until golden in both sides. Remove from the pan and put them in a prepared plate with kitchen paper to dry the oil excess. Use a large stone or a mortar to gently flatten each plantain, be careful not to break them. Then fry again and flip them over in the pan until crisp. Remove from the pan and let the oil excess dry again in a plate with paper towels. Add salt flakes, to taste.

Make the sauce by mixing the mayo, ketchup and the vinegar. Set aside on a bowl.

Grate the carrots and put them in a bowl as well. Repeat with the cheese.

Have fun topping your plantains, we usually put the carrots first, then cheese and finish with the with sauce. Enjoy!