Until Brion and I had spent time living in Ecuador, I had never paid any attention to plantains. Really more of a vegetable than a fruit, plantains are larger and firmer than their banana relative but not sweet. They must be cooked to become palatable. With their bland, starchy, somewhat potato-like flavor, plantains take well to many cooking methods.
On one of the first meals we ate in a restaurant in Ecuador, I experienced the flavor of ‘patacones’. I had ordered an Ecuadorian ceviche and they were served as a side dish. The taste was like a potato chip but had almost a corn flavor. At the time I didn’t know what they were but the taste was definitely one that stayed with me.
In regions that compete for its origin, this specialty appears under two distinct names depending on the country. They are called patacones in Ecuador, Columbia, Costa Rica and Peru. In Cuba, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and Haiti they are called tostones and in West Africa, just simply plantain chips.
The unripe plantain is traditionally prepared with a deep-frying method. The frying is done twice to ensure a crispy chip. You first peel the green plantains and slice them. Then the chips are fried on both sides, removed from the oil and blotted on paper towel. The tostones or patacones are now flattened somewhat and re-fried to provide extra crispiness. Salt may be used to add flavor to the chips. The thicker version (patacones) should be served hot or warm and are nice eaten with guacamole, garlic sauce, grated cheese or as a side dish.
As always, in my quest to bake rather than deep fry, I decided to make some patacones in the oven today. To add some guacamole = yum!!
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Baked Patacones with Guacamole
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Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
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Instructions
Baked Patacones
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Slice plantain into 1-inch thick slices. Place on baking sheet & drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven & with the end of a glass, 'squash' each piece down flat. Thinner = crispier. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until crispy to your liking. Serve with guacamole.
Guacamole
In a small bowl, mash avocados. Add minced red onion, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Combine thoroughly & serve.
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Recipe Notes
- Just for interest, the special or tradional tool used to flatten plantain slices is called a 'tostonera'.
For as long as I can remember, I personally have had a love affair with the ‘Big Sur’ coastline in California, USA. The spectacular beauty of this rugged 145 km (90 mile) coastline, with the natural drama playing out between land and sea is breathtaking.
Over the years many of our vacations have either been in this area or it has made a fabulous ending to a long flight coming back from Europe, before returning home to Canada.
One of the special memories I have from this vicinity was the quaint little European-style village of Carmel-by-the-Sea, located about 190 km (120 miles) from San Francisco.
Some 30 years ago, actor Clint Eastwood, was elected mayor of Carmel for a two-year term. During that time he opened a restaurant/bar there called the ‘Hogs Breath Inn’. You had to enter it through a long , cobblestone alley corridor. The outdoor patio was nestled between the restaurant and the bar. A massive wall mural and numerous stone fireplaces all added tremendously to the wonderful ambiance. It was here that I first tasted a Portobello Mushroom Burger.
Every time Brion and I have returned to Carmel, we have made a point of eating lunch at the Hogs Breath Inn, just so I could taste that burger again. The Portobello mushroom seemed to have been marinated and then grilled on a barbecue. On top of it were some battered onion rings, lettuce and tomato. All of this came in a grilled Ciabatta bun with pickles and a side dish of your choice.
Of course, never having been someone who could just leave it at that, I had to see if I could push this idea just a bit further. Along came some more recipes for the ‘Stuffed Burger Series’. If you like these ingredients, I think you will really enjoy them.
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Portobello Mushroom Burgers
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Rating: 5
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Ingredients
Seafood-Avocado Portobello Mushroom Burgers
- 2 Tbsp butter,
- 2 leeks, finely chopped all of white & part of green
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 avocados, large, peeled & mashed
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 2 pieces sun-dried tomato, chopped fine
- 120 grams crabmeat
- 120 grams shrimpmeat
- 1/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing
- 30 grams Parmesan cheese
- 55 grams Asiago cheese, shredded
- 30 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 6 Portobello mushrooms, large
- 6 Ciabatta buns or your choice
Spinach-Cheese Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Ingredients
Seafood-Avocado Portobello Mushroom Burgers
- 2 Tbsp butter,
- 2 leeks, finely chopped all of white & part of green
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 avocados, large, peeled & mashed
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 2 pieces sun-dried tomato, chopped fine
- 120 grams crabmeat
- 120 grams shrimpmeat
- 1/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing
- 30 grams Parmesan cheese
- 55 grams Asiago cheese, shredded
- 30 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 6 Portobello mushrooms, large
- 6 Ciabatta buns or your choice
Spinach-Cheese Portobello Mushroom Burgers
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!
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Instructions
Seafood-Avocado Filling
Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushrooms using a spoon; discard gills. Remove stems, reserve for another use if desired. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add leek & garlic, & saute until tender. Remove from heat; cool.
Gently combine mashed avocado with next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir into cooled leek mixture.
Dip round side of mushroom caps into Italian dressing; drain slightly. Arrange rounded sides down in a foil baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly into mushroom caps; then top evenly with seafood/avocado mixture, pressing filling to compact slightly. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover & refrigerate if making in advance.)
Preheat oven or barbecue to 350 F. Combine Asiago & mozzarella cheese; sprinkle mushrooms with cheese mixture. Place foil baking dish with mushrooms in oven or on barbecue. Bake until tender & filling begins to brown, about 35 minutes. If necessary, cover loosely with aluminum foil so tops don't burn. Serve on slightly grilled Ciabatta buns. Serves 6
Spinach-Cheese Filling
Remove brown gills & stems from mushrooms. Dip round side of mushroom caps in Italian dressing; arrange, rounded side down, in a foil baking pan. Preheat oven or barbecue grill to 400 F.
Place spinach in a microwave safe bowl, sprinkle with a few drops of water & microwave on high for one minute. Chop cooked spinach; mix with cheddar & cottage cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Spread spinach mixture onto prepared mushroom caps.
Bake in oven or on barbecue until mushrooms are tender, about 12 minutes. Nice served on slightly grilled wholewheat buns. Serves 4
