Patacones or Tostones + Savory Black Bean Mash
One of my favorite things to eat while visiting my family in Costa Rica are patacones or also called tostones. They are fried green plantains, crisp and salty. A total comfort food that immediately transports me to my grandparents living room, enjoying each others company. I miss them so much! We typically visit them each year in February but have canceled our trip this year or rather postponed it. Until we are able to visit Costa Rica, I’ll be frying up these patacones weekly!
The key here is to use green plantains. This will ensure you get a good crisp fry on them. Traditionally, you use what is called a tostonera or plantain masher to make them flat and round. But I just use my tortilla press lined with parchment paper. You can also use the bottom of a cup. Take a look at the photos below to see how I make my patacones or tostones. Depending on what country, these can be called different names. Similar to my Arroz con Pollo recipe, every country and family has a different way of making and saying friend green plantains. My family refers to them as either patacones or tostones. The reason is while most of my family is from Costa Rica, who would call fried green plantains ‘patacones’, my grandmother is from Puerto Rico and she calls them ‘tostones’. So I’ve grown up calling them both names.
I truly hope you give these a try! Or if you already make them let me know in the comments below!
Tostones + Savory Black Bean Mash
Tostones Ingredients
5 green plantains
1/4 cup vegetable oil
sea salt
Black Bean Mash
one can black beans drained + rinsed, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves finely diced, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 cup chicken stock or water, salt + pepper
Directions
Step 1: Start by warming up the vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
Step 2: Peel + cut plantains as the photos above show. Try and cut them all about the same size.
Step 3: Gently add in the plantain pieces into the hot oil and fry on each side for about 2 minutes. What you are doing here is softening the plantains. Once they have fried a bit in the oil on each side for about 2 minutes, place them on to a plate lined with a dish towel or paper towel.
Step 4: Next you are going to smash together 2-3 pieces of plantain to make one big flat piece. I use a tortilla press lined with parchment paper, but you can line a plate with parchment paper and gently press down with the bottom of a cup. Just be sure to use a piece of parchment under the cup so you are smashing the plantains between two pieces of parchment. This will keep them from sticking to whatever you are using to smash them.
Step 5: Once the plantains are smashed together they will form a large flat piece. Gently add the large flat plantains back into the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp.
Step 6: Once the plantains are golden and crisp place them on a plate lined with a dish towel or paper towel and immediately sprinkle them with sea salt!
Step 7: To make the black bean mash, in a sauce pan over medium heat warm up the olive oil, finely chopped garlic and cumin. After about 2 minutes add in the drained+ rinsed black beans, 1/4 cup chicken stock or water, a pinch of salt and pepper and let them cook for about 8-10 minutes.
Step 8: Use a potato masher and gently mash the black beans until you get the consistency you enjoy. Serve as dip alongside your crisp plantains!
Love this photo of Maya peeking over the table eyeing the patacones!
