Environmental Sciences student Natali Gomez (left) and Development & Rural Innovation student Paula Tejada Guzman. Own photo You encounter all the flavours of the world in our WUR community. Environmental Sciences student Natali Gomez and Development & Rural Innovation student Paula Tejada Guzman share their recipe for Colombian patacones.
‘This dish, made from plantains, originates from Colombia’s Caribbean coast. It’s a perfect snack or side dish and it can be enjoyed at any time of the day! In Colombia it is eaten with hogao (a kind of salsa sauce) and suero costeño (a kind of sour cream). Everybody simply loves patacones. You can also find this dish in other countries like Ecuador, but those versions don’t include the agua de ajo or garlic water, which is the secret to an amazing patacón!’
Ingredients
(for 2 people)
- 2 green plantains
- Sunflower oil
- Cup of water
- 3 garlic cloves
- Salt
Preparation
- Crush the garlic cloves and add them to a bowl with the water and 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Heat the oil in a large pan (or use a deep fryer).
- Peel the plantains and cut them into about 5 pieces.
- Fry the plantain pieces in the oil until they are golden.
- When the plantains are golden but still soft, take them out of the oil and let excess oil drip off. Then use two chopping boards to flatten the fried pieces of plantain into a disc. Covering them in plastic foil helps to stop them from sticking to the boards.
- Soak the plantain discs in the garlic water for a minute or so. Then fry them a second time until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Drain them on kitchen paper and add salt to taste.
Serve with hogao or suero costeño. Enjoy!
