Pan Fried Plantains

In my twenties, I had a friend from the Ivory Coast who would make these as a snack. She served them with fish roe, a combination I did not love. The plantains stayed with me, and they do make an excellent and satisfying snack with not too much effort, but they are equally delicious as an addition to a bowl of Cuban inspired black beans and yellow rice.

1 ripe plantain (make sure you get one that is richly speckled with black for they are the sweetest ones)

1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil

Sprinkling of cayenne pepper flakes

Sprinkling of flaky salt

Peel the plantain. The easiest way to do this is to cut of the two ends and then make a slit, lengthwise in the peel before attempting to remove it manually.

Cut them at an angle, into pieces about half an inch thick.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.

As soon as the oil is shimmering, add the plantain pieces in one layer.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Do not, unlike me, use a cast iron skillet for this, as the pan gets too hot and the plantain pieces (which contain natural sugar) will brown much too quickly.

Remove from the pan onto a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Sprinkle with cayenne pepper flakes and flaky salt before inhaling.