Fried Green Plantains (Tostones De Platano Verde)

Ingredients

• Oil, for frying
• 4 ripe plantains, peeled
• Salt
• Garlic Mojo, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oil in a fryer or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F.

Peel the plantains and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place into preheated oil and fry for 5 minutes or until they begin to brown. Drain them on a paper-towel lines plate. Flatten them using a Tostonera or the bottom of a metal can and fry again at 385 degrees F for approximately 3 minutes. Drain again and sprinkle with salt and Garlic Mojo. For softer fried plantains, soak for a few minutes in salted water after the first fry, drain and fry again.

8 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour orange juice or 1/4 cup sweet orange juice plus 1/8 cup fresh lime or lemon juice

Chop up the garlic very thinly or crush using a mortar and pestle or food processor with the salt to form a thick paste. In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic paste and juice, and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer.