Just looking at my mandolin is enough to give horrible flashbacks of my bloody finger tips. Ohhh gosh, that was terrible.
About 3 months ago I was going mandolin crazy with apple chips, veggie chips, and anything slice-related. Until I almost sliced off my two finger tips, that is. That was the first battle where my mandolin won. To be honest, I threw the thing in my closet for months and had PTSD whenever anyone mentioned using one in the kitchen.
Mandolin: 1, Rachel: 0
Then I finally invested in a pair of cut-resistant kitchen gloves (as suggested by Just Eat Real Food) and my love of homemade chips has come back full-force. AND I STILL HAVE ALL 10 FINGERS.
What isn’t there to love about plantains? Green, sweet, fried, mushed up into Mofongo, baked. I’ll take you any way I can get you, Sir Platano. I’ve even perfected the art of peeling unripe green ones (I prefer green over black ripe ones). It’s so easy, but still I see tutorials on soaking them in hot water for 5 minutes prior to peeling. Psh. Call me impatient, I call me: Jedi Master Peeler.
Obviously I have to make a tutorial video and post it. But for now, check out this guy. He makes me smile.
Ingredients
- 1 green plantain
- 1 tbsp bacon fat (or oil of choice)
- 1 lime
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Garlic powder, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut off both ends of the plantain with a sharp knife.
- Slice the knife down the full length of the plantain peel along each ridge. You can peel each strip off by first gliding your fingers along and under the peel strip, and slowly wedging your fingers against the plantain. (It’s kind of hard to describe, but watch the video and test it out. You’ll get the hang of it.)
- Using a mandolin AND A FINGER GUARD, slice the plantain in thin strips so that the pieces are long (instead of small circles.) Try a few test slices to make sure they are a good thickness.
- Deposit the slices in a mixing bowl and add 1 tbsp of bacon fat. Gently toss and coat each slice evenly with oil.
- Layer 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lay out each plantain slice in a single layer, and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (to taste).
- Finish with a squeeze of lime evenly.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping over half way through. The last 5 minutes you’re going to want to keep an eye on them because the ends might brown.
- Serve with guacamole or store them in an airtight container.
Notes
Use a mandolin for best results.
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