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Crisp plantain chips with sea salt
green plantain · glass thin · sea salt
AI-generated photograph
- Total30 minutes
- Prep10 minutes
- Cook20 minutes
- Serves4
Thin, glassy crisps of green plantain fried until they snap, with a pinch of salt and, if you like, a little cayenne. Sold by the bag on Nigerian streets, and easy to make at home.
Contains: none of the 14 allergens, as written. None of the 14 allergens is in this recipe as written.
Let's cook
- Cut the ends off the plantains. Green plantain skin is tough: cut a shallow slit down the length of each, then lever the skin off with your thumb or a spoon handle.
- Slice the plantains as thinly as you can, about 2mm, into rounds or long slanting ovals. A mandoline or the slicing side of a box grater makes this quick; keep your fingers well away from the blade.
- Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pan so it is no more than a third full. Heat it on a medium heat to 170C, or until a slice dropped in sizzles at once.
- Fry the slices in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, separating them with a slotted spoon, until they are pale golden and the bubbling has slowed down.
- Lift them out onto a tray lined with kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt, and the cayenne if using, straight away. They crisp up further as they cool.
- Leave to cool completely before serving or storing.
Tips
- Use truly green plantains. Ripe ones are too sweet and soft to crisp.
- Never leave hot oil alone, and let it cool fully before pouring it away.
- Kept in an airtight jar, the chips stay crisp for a week.
Swaps
- Sweet and salty: use plantains that are just turning yellow and skip the cayenne.
- Baked: toss the slices with 1 tablespoon of oil and bake in one layer at 200C (180C fan) for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once and watching closely.
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Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.
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