Do you have that one item in the produce section you eye with a bit of curiosity? Instead of taking it home, you keep on going, pushing your wonky cart with the one bad wheel as you walk away wondering what could have been? For me, it is the plantain. Looks like a banana, but it’s not. Sweet fried plantains is my conquering of that timid curiosity, into a subtly sweet dish with a bit of tang.
The elephant in the room… what is the difference between a banana and plantains? Well, plantains are actually a type of banana. They can be enjoyed when they are less ripe which is better suited for savory dishes. We’re using ripe plantains in a sweet application. In some parts of the world, plantains are a beer-making crop! See below for a link to Britannica who provided this fun fact and learn more about plantains.1
What You Need to Make Sweet Fried Plantains
- Plantains – shocker, right? You’ll need two ripe plantains. Green are less ripe, yellow are riper, just like a banana. We want yellow. Don’t, however, be shocked by their flavor. These are not sweet like bananas. I think they taste more like a potato.
- Butter – bring the fat for flavor and to cook the plantains down.
- Lime Juice – add a little tang and compliments the tropical profile.
- Maple Syrup – aside from the plantain, this is the hero. Sweet, sugary, and makes the dish caramel and gorgeous.
- Vanilla – I mean, it’s vanilla. Brings a warm, delicious flavor that only vanilla can.
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream – pick your favorite vanilla, but with such clean, basic ingredients I recommend a good quality vanilla bean ice cream.
How to Make Sweet Fried Plantains
The steps are just as simple as the ingredients. Peel and cut the plantains into 1/2″ slices, then cut those into halves. Squeeze the juice from a large lime. Give the lime a roll on the counter to release the juices. If you don’t have a juicer, you can twist a fork in the middle to release the juices.
In a large skillet, over low heat, melt the butter. I love how the fat looks like estuaries pooling in the pan. Add the plantains and increase the heat to medium. Give the plantain pieces a toss to coat with the butter. To the pan, add the lime juice.
Coat the plantains with lime juice and cook for 5-7 minutes until they begin to brown to a beautiful golden color. Stir up the fried sweet plantains occasionally.
Maple syrup is the sugar that’s going to bring this dish together. I don’t recommend pancake syrup because you can’t tap a pancake to make syrup. Maple syrup comes from maple trees, while pancake syrup is made of corn syrups and other ingredients. Go for the good stuff.
Drizzle the maple syrup over the plantains, add in the vanilla, and just a dash of salt to enhance the flavors. Continue to cook for just a few minutes more.
Serving Sweet Fried Plantains Over Ice Cream
Today we made sweet fried plantains with basic and minimal ingredients. Keep it going strong with a good quality, basic vanilla bean ice cream. Spoon the warm plantains over a hearty scoop of ice cream, serve immediately.
Sweet Fried Plantains
Equipment
- cutting board
- paring knife
- measuring spoon
- frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe plantains (2 to 2 1/2 cups when cut)
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- dash sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- vanilla bean ice cream
Instructions
- Plantains: Peel and slice each plantain into 1" thick pieces. Cut those pieces in half.
- Lime: Cut the lime in half. Using a squeezer or by twisting a fork into the flesh, squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Then, measure the juice needed.
- Butter: In a frying pan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Plantains & Juice: Increase the heat to medium. Add the plantains to the pan and stir to coat. Add the lime juice and mix the plantains.
- Cook: Cook the plantains for 5-7 minutes. Stir or toss occasionally. Let the bottoms brown.
- Maple Syrup & Vanilla: Add the maple syrup, dash of salt, and vanilla. Stir the plantains to coat. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the syrup has reduced and coated the plantains. Remove from heat.
- Spoon the plantains and any sauce over scoops of ice cream. Serve immediately.
- Learn more about plantains at Britannica.com ↩︎
