i was really hungry.

for years i have walked by the plantains at the grocery store and wondered what they taste like. WELL YESTERDAY I BOUGHT ONE:

i was too anxious to eat it, and didn’t realy bother to figure out how it is supposed to be eaten. i simply peeled it and took a bite. it tasted quite………strange. it was like a banana, except, well.. not. it was a lot less sweet and had kind of an earthy-grassy taste to it, but not in a good way. i tried to feed it to chris but he wouldn’t touch it. later i found out that plantains are like the ~tropical~ equivalent of a potato. so basically i bit into a raw potato. next time i buy one i am going to use this plantain recipe from alton brown so that it is potentially edible and might not taste like biting into a raw potato again:

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fried plantains

2 cups water
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
2 green plantains

Combine water, garlic and salt in medium size glass bowl and set aside.

In a large (12-inch) saute pan, heat oil to 325 degrees F. Peel plantains and slice crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Carefully add plantains to oil and fry until golden yellow in color, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. (The oil should come halfway up the side of the plantain). With a spider or slotted spoon, remove the plantains from the pan and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, standing them on their ends. With the back of a wide, wooden spatula, press each piece of plantain down to half its original size. Then place the plantains in the water and let soak for 1 minute. Remove and pat dry with a tea towel to remove excess water.

Bring oil back up to 325 degrees F and return plantains to pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to a dish lined with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Serve immediately.

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