I absolutely love plantains and this version is super tasty and easy to make. According to Raul Musibay, Cuban cookbook author and cofounder of icuban.com, tostones (twice-fried plantains) can be linked directly to the African continent: “The tradition of the tostone comes from African slaves. In the Congo, the people prepare plantains in the exact same way, even to this day.”
This makes the perfect appetizer, side dish, or snack for any meal. Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below.
Roasted Plantains with Roasted Garlic-Lime Dipping Sauce
Roasted Garlic-Lime Dipping Sauce
• All the cloves from one head of roasted garlic *below ( I was a little impatient and did the recipe without roasted the garlic first and it still came out delicious!)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
Roasted Plantains
• 3 large, slightly ripe yellow plantains, ends cut off, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces widthwise
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
For the dipping sauce
In an upright blender, combine the roasted garlic, olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Puree until creamy.
Season with white pepper and salt to taste.
*Roasting Garlic
Preheat your oven to 325°F, cut off just enough of the head of a garlic bulb to expose the garlic cloves, transfer to aluminum foil cutside up, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Wrap the foil tightly, place in a baking receptacle to catch any drippings, and bake until the garlic is tender, about 1 hour.
For the plantains
Preheat oven to 450°F.
In a small bowl, toss the plantains and the olive oil. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook, stirring a few times to ensure even browning, until crisp on the outside and starting to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the plantain pieces to a serving platter and scatter them around the dipping sauce. Have toothpicks handy for easy dipping.
Adapted From Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry. Copyright © 2009 by Bryant Terry.