Ethnic dinners for two #2: Cuban food

Back in 2006 I had a long layover in Miami. Some friends and I found our way down to south beach for the afternoon where we ate at a great Cuban restaurant. They served plantains at this restaurant- and they were delicious! I believe we had them several ways, some were fried with ground meat, some were sauted, and some were boiled, mashed and smothered in butter.

Since then I have been wondering if I could re-create that amazing night in Miami. Well, not too long ago Jerilyn posted about some Cuban beans and rice. And the other day at the supermarket I found some awesome looking plantains. Sooooooo, here we are- finally!

In my Joy of Cooking book I found a few tips on how to cook plantains. So, after much deliberation here they are:

If you’ve never had a plantain, they sound like a scary ethnic food. But they ARE NOT! A plantain is basically a cross between a banana and a potato. It looks like a giant banana, has the consistency of a banana (when ripe) but tastes more like a potato.

I melted a few tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet. Then I added the plantains (sliced to about 1/4 in. thick) into the butter. Cook them just until they start to brown. Let cool on paper towels. While they’re still hot sprinkle them with kosher salt and pepper.

No kidding. You will be amazed. I promise! These have a nice crispy outside with a soft buttery inside that melts in your mouth. And as you can image, there were no leftovers.

We paired our plantains with Cuban black beans and rice. We practically had an Cuban extravaganza on our hands!! As if it couldn’t have gotten any better, Justin had the brilliant idea to finish off our night with a pair of Cuban sticks! That’s right, you read it here first.

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