Tostones with Garlic-Lime Cilantro Sauce

At some point this month, we all looked at the price tag for a carton of eggs and gasped. I wandered the aisles of my local grocery store, thinking about ways to make a satisfying snack (or meal if you eat enough of it) that requires minimal effort and cheap ingredients. As I walked by all of the typical produce, I spotted a pile of platanos (plantains) calling to me. 

One of my favorite snacks growing up was tostones, also known as twice-fried plantains. They are aptly named as they are first cut into chunks, fried, smashed, and then fried again. As a kid, I would help my mom mash the plantains and watch as they bubbled away in hot oil for the second time, held back by my older cousin from eating them straight out of the fryer as we waited to season them with salt.

We enjoyed tostones with possibly the simplest dipping sauce you can make: mayochup (ketchup combined with mayo). As I got older, I discovered a much more grown-up way to eat these savory, salty bites: garlic-lime cilantro sauce. It’s not only a perfect dip for tostones, but can also be used as a marinade for proteins. 

For this recipe, you’ll need plantains, garlic, fresh cilantro, fresh or dried oregano, vegetable oil and extra virgin olive oil, and a lime. Platanos, also known as green bananas or cooking bananas, are typically not eaten raw but instead fried or boiled. They are a staple in Caribbean cooking and are often seen in the forms of mofongo, maduros and, of course, tostones.

Let’s start by making the dipping sauce. You’ll need to make a garlic paste using 5 garlic cloves which can be accomplished by using a garlic press, mashing finely diced garlic with a fork or the side of your knife, or mashing finely diced garlic in a mortar and pestle. You can also opt for buying premade garlic paste but it’s not as fresh.

In the same bowl with the garlic paste, add 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper (more or less to taste) and mix. Remove the stems from the oregano (if using fresh) and cilantro and rough chop. Add to the bowl with the lime zest and mash into the paste. Whisk in the lime juice. Add the olive oil and whisk to combine. Taste for seasoning and set aside. 

Heat a large pot of oil to 325 degrees F. While the oil is heating, remove the plantain’s peel by cutting off both ends and creating a vertical cut down the side deep into the skin without piercing too far into the banana. This will make it easier to pull apart and peel. 

Cut the plantain into 1 inch pieces.

Once the oil has come to temp, lower the plantain pieces with a slotted spoon or a spider, and fry in batches until firm and lightly browned. About 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined sheet tray. 

Using the back of a pan, the bottom of a cup, or a tostonera (plantain masher), flatten the plantain piece to about 1/4-inch thickness. Be sure not to let them cool too long before doing this step, as they will be harder to mash. Repeat with all of the fried pieces. 

Once all of the pieces have been smashed, lower them back into the hot oil in batches and fry until golden brown. This can take between 3 and 7 minutes depending on how low your oil has dropped in temperature. 

Place them on a paper towel-lined sheet tray and season with coarse Kosher salt.

Serve with garlic cilantro dipping sauce and enjoy. 

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Garlic-Lime Cilantro Sauce 

Yields: 1 cup

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Total time: 15 minutes

5 garlic cloves, mashed into a garlic paste (see methods above) 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 Tablespoon of fresh oregano, roughly chopped, or 1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Zest of a lime

Juice of 1/2 of a lime 

1/3 cup olive oil 

1. Add the garlic paste, cilantro, oregano, salt, pepper and lime zest. Mash together with a fork or pestle.
2. Add the lime juice and whisk until combined. Add the olive oil and mix until well combined. 

Tostones (Twice-Fried Plantains) 

Yields: 25-28 pieces

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Cook time: 30 minutes 

Total time: 45 minutes

4 green plantains 

Coarse kosher salt

Frying oil 

1. Heat a large pot of neutral oil to 325 degrees F. 
2. While the oil is heating, remove the plantain’s peel by cutting off both ends and creating a vertical cut down the side deep into the skin without piercing too deep into the banana.
3. Cut the peeled plantain into 1-inch pieces.
4. Once the oil has come to temp, lower the 1” chunks in and fry until firm and lightly browned. About 3-5 minutes. 
5. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined sheet tray. You should not cool them down to do the next step, they should still be hot. 
6. Using the back of pan, the bottom of a cup, or a tostonera (plantain masher), flatten the plantain piece to about a ¼” thickness. Be sure not to let them cool too long before doing this step, as they will be harder to mash. Repeat with all of the fried pieces. 
7. Once all of the pieces have been smashed, lower them back into the hot oil in batches and fry until golden brown. About 3-7 minutes, depending on the temperature of your oil when dropped back in. 
8. Place the finished tostones on a paper towel-lined sheet tray and season with coarse Kosher salt.
9. Serve with garlic-lime cilantro sauce and enjoy!

Yield: 25-28 pieces

Author: Elexis Ruiz

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Tostones with Garlic-Lime Cilantro Sauce

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

For the garlic lime cilantro sauce

• 5 garlic cloves, mashed into a garlic paste (see methods above)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh oregano, roughly chopped, or 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• Zest of a lime
• Juice of 1/2 of a lime
• 1/3 cup olive oil

For the tostones

• 4 green plantains
• Coarse kosher salt
• Frying oil

Instructions

For the garlic lime cilantro sauce

1. Add the garlic paste, cilantro, oregano, salt, pepper and lime zest. Mash together with a fork or pestle.
2. Add the lime juice and whisk until combined. Add the olive oil and mix until well combined.

For the tostones

1. Heat a large pot of neutral oil to 325 degrees F.
2. While the oil is heating, remove the plantain’s peel by cutting off both ends and creating a vertical cut down the side deep into the skin without piercing too deep into the banana.
3. Cut the peeled plantain into 1-inch pieces.
4. Once the oil has come to temp, lower the 1” chunks in and fry until firm and lightly browned. About 3-5 minutes.
5. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined sheet tray. You should not cool them down to do the next step, they should still be hot.
6. Using the back of pan, the bottom of a cup, or a tostonera (plantain masher), flatten the plantain piece to about a ¼” thickness. Be sure not to let them cool too long before doing this step, as they will be harder to mash. Repeat with all of the fried pieces.
7. Once all of the pieces have been smashed, lower them back into the hot oil in batches and fry until golden brown. About 3-7 minutes, depending on the temperature of your oil when dropped back in.
8. Place the finished tostones on a paper towel-lined sheet tray and season with coarse Kosher salt.
9. Serve with garlic-lime cilantro sauce and enjoy!

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