Here in Cazale, we don’t have always have access to that crunchy, salty snack of potato chips. In fact, potatoes are expensive most of the time as they aren’t grown well in our area and must be brought in. Plantains are more readily available and can be prepared in many ways. We’ve shown you how to make the more common “Fried Plantains” in 2021. Now, we would like to show you another way to make them called “Papita” here in Haiti, where the plantains are cut thin and fried into crispy chips.
First, let’s talk about the plantains. They must be green and firm. As plantains ripen, they get yellow, soft, and sweeter. There are dishes that call for the plantains to be this ripe, but not this one. The green ones can be difficult to peel. They can’t be peeled like a regular banana. Though plantains and bananas look similar, there is a big difference. The green plantains have a thick skin that sticks to the inside starchy fruit. If you try to peel a green plantain like you do a banana, you will have to break it off in little pieces or scrape it with a utensil, damaging the fruit. Instead, wash the fruit and cut the ends of the plantain off. Then, make a cut lengthwise down the entire plantain, just going down to the fruit but not cutting far into it. Next, start on one of the corners to peel the skin off crosswise and not lengthwise as you would normally peel a banana. Some people find using the back of a spoon helpful. Some take the peel off while holding the plantain under water. Once the plantain is peeled, place it in a bowl of clean water as you peel the rest.
Prepare other bowl of salt water (salted to taste) for the cut plantains to soak in. Cut the plantains lengthwise with a vegetable peeler, mandolin, or sharp knife. (They can be cut into rounds, but it’s not common.) Place in the salted water and allow to soak 15-20 min. Prepare a deep fryer or large, heavy pan with oil and heat up to 375 degrees.
Blot dry the plantain slices and deep fry until golden brown, turning as need. Place in one at a time or they will stick together. Transfer to a container lined with paper towels to drain and salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
