One of my all-time favorite desserts is a bowl of vanilla ice cream and Cuban plátanos maduros – an iconic side dish made from overripe, black sweet plantains!
Plantains are super versatile and are used in different ways at different levels of ripeness. While Cuban tostones are made from green plantains, plátanos maduros are made from plantains with skin that is totally black, and flesh that is soft and sweet. When I say totally black, I mean totally black – you don’t want to see even a hint of yellow on that peel. Check out the picture below- this is what you’re aiming for! To find more about plantains, what they are and how to use them, click here!
Many of my earlier Cuban recipes – Chicken Fricasé, Frijoles Negros and Cuban mojo to name a few – came from the trove of secrets contained in my partners family cookbook. It’s essentially the source of my power. In their essence, a recipe for maduros is included early on in that little three-ring binder. But there was also a little room for some exactness and science – and that’s the culmination of this recipe!
You can use most any frying oil or shortening when making plátanos maduros, but I am pretty firmly of the belief that the best results come from frying them in lard. Lard just adds that smokey savoriness to the crust that takes these sweet plantains from good to great. I encourage you to not fear lard! While some of the low-grade, shelf stable and hydrogenated lard options are pretty bad for you, we are currently living through a lard revival! There are so many great options available on the market – and it will absolutely take some recipes to the next level. To find out more about lard, where to find the good stuff and how it’s used, click here.
After peeling, plátanos maduros are cut at an angle, which I have illustrated below. They will shrink during cooking, so cut them a little larger than you want the result to be – I usually do pieces that are about an inch-and-a-half thick.
The other secret to success in this recipe is manipulating the temperature of your lard (or other frying oil). Whereas when making tostones (LINK) you start frying in cold oil and gradually increase the temperature, when making plátanos maduros you start with hot oil and lower the temperature. This is going to give you that deeply golden, slightly charred outside and melt-in-your mouth inside that you’re looking for. I recommend heating your oil until just shimmering and frying your plantains pretty quickly – just about a minute on each side. Then reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, turning another two or three times until done – 3-4 minutes. You want to be sure to turn them a few times during this part of cooking so they don’t stick to the pan or get overly charred.
You will find that “maduros” (often the shorthand for plátanos maduros) are a common side dish at Cuban and other Caribbean restaurants, as well as often making appearances on the dessert menu. If you order, let’s say, a combination plate, your sides will most likely be rice, beans and / or maduros. They’re the perfect counterpart – a punch of perfect sweetness to balance the inherent flavorful, salty briney-ness of Cuban cuisine.
But for the home chef, what are some of the best ways to serve maduros? They are the perfect accompaniment to any rice-and-bean dish- particularly Frijoles Negros or Cuban black beans. But they’re really a great side dish for any number of things – steak, leafy green vegetables, curry, black bean soup (LINK) and so much more. My favorite way though? Served on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream, as pictured above. No other toppings, fillings or flavorings required. Perfection.
Looking for other Cuban recipes? Try out my Yuca Frita con Mojo, Cuban Picadillo Stuffed Plantains, (LINK) and Cuban Papas Rellenas recipes!
Plátanos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains)
Ingredients
- 3 black-skinned, very ripe plantains (see picture above)
- lard (preferred), canola oil or other frying medium of choice
Instructions
- Heat lard in a heavy bottomed pot or pan. Add enough so that it's about 1/2 inch deep.
- Cut off the top and bottom of each plantain and remove the peel. Slice at an angle into pieces that are approximately 1 1/2 inches thick, as shown in the picture above.
- When your lard is just starting to shimmer, add plantains in a single layer. Fry for about 1 minute, flip, and fry for another minute.
- Reduce heat to low. Continue cooking your plantains, turning every minute or so until deeply golden brown and slightly charred - another 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and drain maduros on a paper-towel lined plate. Serve hot.
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