- 20 minutes
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 15 minutes
- Serves 4
Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe plantains (yellow skins with plenty of black spots)
- 200ml vegetable oil, for frying
- Half a teaspoon fine salt
Let's cook
- Cut the two ends off each plantain. Run the tip of a knife down the length of the skin along one ridge, without cutting deep, then push your thumb under the skin and peel it away.
- Cut each plantain on a slant into slices about 1cm thick. Slanted slices give longer, prettier pieces with more golden surface.
- Pour the oil into a large frying pan so it is about 1cm deep. Heat it on a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Test it with one slice: it should bubble gently around the edges straight away.
- Lay the slices in the pan in a single layer, leaving a little space between them. Do this in two or three batches so the pan is not crowded, or the plantain turns greasy instead of crisp.
- Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside is deep golden, then turn each slice with a fork or tongs and fry the other side for 2 minutes more. Very ripe plantain browns fast, so turn the heat down a little if it darkens too quickly.
- Lift the slices out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Sprinkle with the salt while they are hot and serve warm.
Tips
- The riper the plantain, the sweeter the dodo. Skins that are mostly black are perfect; firm yellow ones are less sweet but still good.
- Never leave hot oil on the hob unattended, and let it cool fully in the pan before you pour it away.
- Dodo is best eaten within an hour. Leftovers can be warmed in a dry frying pan for 2 minutes on each side until hot through.
Swaps
- Less oil: brush the slices with 2 tablespoons of oil and bake on a lined tray at 220C (200C fan) for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.
- A little heat: dust the hot dodo with a pinch of cayenne pepper with the salt.
Tags
In Twenty minute dinners, Plant powered.
None of the 14 allergens is in this recipe as written. Plantain, oil and salt contain none of them.
Check every packet for allergens.