Recipe-less Plantain Crisps
If I had to choose between crisp thin cut plantain crisps vs. potato crisps, I would choose plantain any day. Packed full of flavour, sweet and savoury, extra crispy, they are incredible. They remind me of summer days spent at the beach in the Seychelles.
Over the past few years, I’ve seen them make an appearance in ‘trendy’ food shops, a teeny bag costing absurd amounts. These crisps are extremely easy to make, and only require you to have some kind of mandoline or slicer (a staple equipment you should have in your kitchen anyways.)
As usual with recipe-less, I give you the fundamental ingredients, with other flavour components you can add if wanted. The technique is the most important, and is what should be followed.
Main Ingredients
Green unripe plantain (it should be very hard, green, no bruising or soft spots), peeled
Neutral frying oil, enough to fill a pot or wok up 1/2 way
Salt
Additional Ingredients
These ingredients will be there solely for garnishing and adding flavour
Allium powders - garlic or onion powder
Paprika, smoked paprika
Chilli powders - Ancho powder, Chipotle powder…
Or any other flavour components. These are to be sprinkled on after frying.
Method
1. In a pot or wok on medium high heat, add enough oil to fill it half way up. Get the oil hot, it should register 180°C.
2. If using a hand held mandoline, start shaving the peeled plantain straight into the oil - the plantain should be 2-3mm and should bubble straight away, if not, the oil isn’t hot enough. Move the plantain crisps around so that they don’t stick to each other, and fry until slightly golden. Remove from the oil and place on a kitchen paper lined plate - the plantain will become more golden and crisp up while it cools.
3. If using a standing mandoline, shave a few slices of plantain and quickly transfer them into the hot oil. The shavings should be 2-3mm. Move the plantain slices around, and fry until slightly golden. Remove to a kitchen paper lined plate. The plantain will become more golden and crisp up while it cools.
4. When the plantain crisps are out of the oil, season with salt and any other flavouring agents or spices you want. Let cool completely before serving.