Profile: Plantains

I first fell in love with plantains during a trip to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Our gorgeous hotel was in an exclusive neighborhood (notably, it was also surrounded by iron bars and well-armed guards, but nevertheless) and it served up a truly bountiful spread every morning for our early-AM meal. It was during one of those almost embarrassingly plentiful breakfasts that I had my first plantain tamale. I was immediately hooked.

Fortunately for me, plantains are available in many U.S. supermarkets. They are usually sold when they are just turning yellow, giving them a slightly dirty appearance. They are often located near the bananas, their size and lack of bunching distinguishing them from their smaller, sweeter cousins. Plantains can be eaten at any stage of ripeness - green, yellow, or even black. In fact, to use a plantain in a sweet application requires allowing it to turn almost completely black, well beyond the point where a standard supermarket banana would be considered edible. All but the most ripe plantains must be cooked to be enjoyed.

Though musa paradisiaca is, as it appears to be, a type of banana, I find that it is better to think of the plantain more like a potato. Plantains can be incorporated into sweet dishes, and they often are used that way, but only when overripe. And even then, the plantain does not reach the natural sweetness of the Cavendish bananas (also known as dessert bananas) that line U.S. supermarket shelves. Rather, plantains are very starchy and (depending upon their level of ripeness) not very sweet. When green, they are not sweet at all, but still very filling. Thus, in many cultures the plantain really does function like a potato - an inexpensive, and important, source of nutritious calories.

True to its starchy character, the plantain can be prepared in many ways. It can be boiled, steamed, fried, sauteed, grilled, even mashed. One of the most well-known preparations of plantains are tostones, which are twice-fried "patties" similar to chips. I have personally had plantains in many ways, and have gone to great lengths to enjoy them in my cooking (Most memorably in Plantain Tamales with Molasses Butter from Bobby Flay's From My Kitchen To Your Table, which were good, but well beyond my usual "keep it simple" routine!). My favorite preparation is just to saute them, though, like in Jack Bishop's Caribbean Black Beans with Sauteed Plantains from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.

If you haven't already, it's well worth it to discover this dietary staple of so many tropical regions. Just remember that many a plantain novice has been disappointed when the plantain wasn't what they expected, so if you are trying plantains for the first time, try to ignore their banana resemblance as much as you possibly can!

This Tyler Florence recipe is just what I have in mind for an easy plantain preparation. One thing to note that Tyler doesn't mention: A plantain can't be peeled like a supermarket banana. Cut the plantain with the skin on, then score the skin and remove it in sections.

Tyler Florence's recipe for Caramelized Plantains "Plantanos al Caldero" can be found at foodnetwork.com