Give my Mexican father a plantain, and in return, you’ll most likely get a pastelón, tostones, or a candy caramelized deal with referred to as maduros—all Puerto Rican dishes that proudly remind him of his New York Metropolis upbringing. So after making an attempt Dealer Joe’s Candy Ripe Plantains, I’m unsure tips on how to break the information to him: they style like home made.
My father prefers to stroll to the Latin market across the nook to pick his personal plantains—even when meaning coming residence with a inexperienced bunch after which ready every week for them to ripen to a yellowish-black hue earlier than he can fry them to golden brown and caramelized glory.
Why I Love Dealer Joe’s Candy Ripe Plantains
As for me, I’ll gladly take a shortcut if the outcomes are simply pretty much as good. And Dealer Joe’s frozen plantains most undoubtedly are. Having tasted many variations—together with my father’s Puerto Rican maduros, Columbian tajadas, and even West African dodos—I really feel certified to make this declare. Not solely are they made in Central America from completely ripened, tremendous candy plantains, however they’re additionally sliced diagonally like those my dad makes—two arguments I can use to defend myself within the occasion that my father (or anybody else) calls me a traitor.
Merely Recipes / Dealer Joes
Dealer Joe’s Candy Ripe Plantains
Worth: $2.49 for a 16-ounce bagWhy I Love Them: These fried plantains style simply pretty much as good as home made however with method much less work. There isn’t any frying required, and you’ll warmth them up in a skillet or in an air fryer.
How I Put together Dealer Joe’s Plantains
As a result of I’m nearly at all times on kitchen clean-up obligation in my residence, I don’t often stay up for making something that requires frying. Simply imagining splattered oil throughout my range and backsplash is sufficient to make me loyal to the frozen discover—they arrive already fried and able to eat. That implies that as an alternative of filling a pan with an inch of oil to realize the signature tender and caramelized end, a splash of oil is all that’s required. They will even be heated in an air fryer—an possibility that’s quicker, much less messy, and simply pretty much as good.
If you happen to’ve by no means tried maduros and are questioning what to serve them with, I’ve a number of concepts, starting with my favourite: black beans and white rice—the savory-sweet mashup is actually scrumptious. They’re additionally nice loved as a snack (professional tip: sprinkle them with sea salt as quickly as they arrive off the warmth), topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or served for breakfast alongside huevos Motuleños—a specialty from the Mexican state of Yucatán the place the delicacies is very influenced by neighboring Caribbean nations.
Aside from telling my father I’ve discovered a swap that tastes pretty much as good as his, the one factor I’m fearful about is that they maintain promoting out at my native Dealer Joe’s. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
To study extra about our strategy to product suggestions, see HERE.
