Two Ways to Make Tostones
Using our kitchen tools, Carolina fries up some tasty tostones the traditional way, and shows us a new a time-saving hack.
By Carolina Ginorio | @caroginorio_pr
Like most people who grew up in the Caribbean (and some other parts of Latin America), I have a special place in my heart for tostones. We ate them at least three times a week—as a side dish, snack, or even a way to scoop up other food like an edible spoon. But here’s the thing, when it came time to leave my house and Puerto Rico to go to college, I quickly realized I had taken tostones for granted. Now the only way I could eat them was if I made them myself, and I had never done that before.
I’ll be honest, frying scared me, and having to double fry the plantain to make tostones seemed like such a hassle, and I could not be bothered. I went months in college without eating them until one day my mom said, “Instead of frying them twice, put the plantain in the microwave and then just smash and fry them once.” That day my life changed.
Knowing the classic way of making them is important for the culture, and I respect those who do it, but I’m sticking to my microwave shortcut unless it’s absolutely necessary. They come out just as tasty and even crispier. Sometimes I’ll even buy like 10 plantains, microwave them, cut them, and smash them, and I save them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. That way, I always have tostones ready to fry and eat in minutes. If you are a purist or prefer to fry them twice, please do—it’ll always be delicious. But, don’t knock it ‘till you try it.
Using Loisa's new kitchen tools, like the skimmer and tostonera, that are designed specifically for cooking classic Latin dishes like tostones, made it fun and even easier to cook this savory treat! The non-slip grip on the tostonera is definitely a game changer! It helps the tostonera stay in one place and speeds up the smashing process. Meanwhile, the skimmer is perfect for scooping the plantains out of the hot frying oil, you don’t have to worry about dropping them and having the oil splash everywhere. These tools look great in my kitchen and I’m very excited to continue cooking with.
