Ingredients
Plantains
- 4green plantains, hard and completely unripe
To fry
- red palm oil, or vegetable oil, for deep frying
To season
- fine salt
- ground chilli, optional
- a pinch of sugar, optional
Equipment
- a mandoline, or a very sharp knife
- a bowl of cold salted water
Directions
- Peel them under water or with oiled hands, because green plantain sap is sticky and stains skin and clothes black. Now slice them as thinly as you possibly can, on a mandoline if you have one. Slice them lengthways for long chips or across for rounds, and both are ordinary.
- Drop the slices straight into cold salted water as you cut them. The salted water does two jobs: it stops them browning and it seasons them right through, which is better than salting the outside afterwards.
- Leave them 10 minutes, then drain them and dry them thoroughly on a cloth. Dry them properly. Heat the oil to 175°C (345°F).
- Fry the slices in small batches, stirring them apart with a slotted spoon as they go in. Separate them immediately or they weld together into clumps that never crisp.
- Fry 2 to 3 minutes until they are pale golden and the bubbling around them has slowed noticeably. Take them out while they are still pale gold, because they darken as they drain.
- Drain them on a rack rather than paper, so steam escapes instead of softening them. Salt them immediately while they are hot enough for the salt to stick. Add ground chilli now if you want them hot, which is common at Liberian roadside stalls.
- Cool them completely before storing, because any warmth left inside the bag turns them soft. Store them in an airtight container, where they keep about a week.
Technique
- Thick slices smashed flat and fried twice make tostones, which are a different thing entirely.
- A slight sprinkle of sugar with the salt is a common Ghanaian and Nigerian habit.
- They go soft within hours in humid air, so store them sealed.
Substitutions
- Green bananas, which are smaller and thinner.
- Any neutral oil in place of palm oil.
Variations
- Seasoned with chilli and salt.
- Made thick and twice-fried, as tostones.
- Fried in coconut oil, which is a coastal habit.
History
Fried in palm oil and salted, they are sold at roadsides and by hawkers at motor parks throughout the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is Plantain chips?
Plantain chips is a snack from Liberia: green plantain sliced thin and fried crisp, sold in bags. Fried in palm oil and salted, they are sold at roadsides and by hawkers at motor parks throughout the country.
How long does Plantain chips take to make?
Plantain chips takes 15 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Plantain chips?
Yes, within limits. Green bananas, which are smaller and thinner. Any neutral oil in place of palm oil.
What is the most important thing to get right in Plantain chips?
Fry the slices in small batches, stirring them apart with a slotted spoon as they go in. Separate them immediately or they weld together into clumps that never crisp.
