Plantains are great for their versatility but sometimes it can be tough to find them depending on where you are. My nearby supermarket doesn’t stock them, so I have to make a side trip to the African grocer whenever I need plantains. Last week, the new stock of bananas at the supermarket were all unripe and bright green and I decided to grab a comb and experiment at home. Unripe green bananas are hard, but not as tricky to peel as green plantains. What I do is cut off the ends, score them lengthwise and remove the peel. If it’s still stuck, cutting the banana into smaller pieces makes it easier.
I pan-fried them with goose fat (very lovely to work with, less gamey than duck fat, IMO) and sprinkled them with Hawaiian black salt. Coconut oil, sustainably sourced red palm oil or avocado oil would make nice vegan/ vegetarian options. Since there were no other seasonings added to the bananas, I mixed up a vinegar-based dip to accompany the fried banana medallions. The sweet and sour dip gave it a great kick! You could also accompany the fried banana medallions with coconut milk mayonnaise.
These taste like a lighter version of fried plantains/ tostones. Fluffy on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, they make a really nice savoury snack. I shared these with my son and he loved them!
- 3 green bananas, peeled and sliced into ½ inch thick slices
- Fat/ oil of your choice (I used goose fat)
- Black sea salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp honey/ maple syrup
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and fat to melt/ oil to heat up. There should be enough to cover the base of the pan.
- Once the fat/ oil has heated up, add the banana slices in a single layer
- Cook for several minutes, until golden brown, then flip the slices and cook for a few more minutes
- Once both sides are golden brown and crisp, remove from the pan and drain over kitchen paper towels in a plate. Sprinkle with black sea salt and toss to coat evenly.
- Combine honey/ maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and garlic together in small bowl.
- Serve as a dip alongside the fried banana medallions.
For pan-frying - Use coconut oil/ sustainably sourced red palm oil or avocado oil
For the dipping sauce - Use maple syrup instead of honey