Tostones (Tostones de Platanos)

One of the first things I wanted to learn when I started dating Edwin (after the Pollo Guisado, of course), was tostones!

I had always had them when out at Spanish restaurants — being from Queens, NYC means that you have the opportunity to have so many amazing varieties of food right down the block — but I hadn’t actually dove into making Dominican food at home much.

So — Edwin was the perfect excuse to hone my Dominican cooking skills (because I think food you grew up with is very important, so I wasn’t about to have him lose some of this favorites while dating this Italian!).

And ufffff, are these homemade tostones so delicious. Let’s go.

Tostones Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need:

Green plantain: Not to be confused with the yellow (or more ripened) plantain. Grab the green ones of these.

Neutral oil: For frying.

Salt bath: You’ll use this for dipping the tostone before the second fry.

Mason jar: For smashing the tostone. They do make tostones presses you can buy, but honestly a jar works just fine for me.

How To Make Tostones

These are literally so simple, the most difficult part is probably just peeling the plantain!

Step 1: Peel the plantain.

So I’ve seen a few different methods when it comes to removing the tough outer skin of a plantain (these may look similar to bananas but they definitely don’t peel as easily!).

Some run it under hot water to soften it up, but I found that cutting off the ends and then simply running a pairing knife down the length of the plantain (in about 3–4 spots), and then getting my fingers under the skin and working the peel off works just fine.

Once the peel is off, use a pairing knife to clean the plantain (if there’s any peel stuck to it), and then cut the plantain in to about one inch slices.

Step 2: Do the first fry.

Heat neutral oil in a frying pan (about an inch or 2 deep is honestly fine). Once it’s hot, add the plantain slices. Fry until they’re golden (flipping them after about 2 minutes). Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep the oil hot.

Step 3: Smash the plantains.

Now you’re going to take each fried plantain slice and put it on a cutting board. Using the bottom of a mason jar, press firmly down on the plantain until it smashes flat. Remove from the mason jar and put back on the plate.

Step 4: Do the second fry.

Now make the salt bath. I just add a teaspoon or 2 of salt to water and stir. When ready, dip the smashed plantain in the water and CAREFULLY add it to the oil. The oil is going to talk some shit now, so I like to slide the plantain in from the side carefully and step away before adding the next one. Let these fry until golden (just about one or 2 minutes). And remove to the paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with some salt and enjoy!