GREEN PLANTAIN CHIPS

Serves: Plenty

Time: 1 hour

- 2 quarts sunflower oil

- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1. Top and tail the plantains and slice down the spine. Forcefully but carefully remove the skin, using the side of a small knife to lift it and then your thumb joint to coax it off. Keep an eye on your fingernail, as plantain skin under the nail can be painful. 

2. Finely slice the plantain (using a knife or mandoline) into round chips, about 1/16 inch thick, and drop them into a tub of cold water. Try to ensure they do not get any more than a generous 1/8 inch thick. 

3. Heat the oil to 375°F. 

4. Remove the discs from the water, drain in a colander, and pat dry with paper towels so that they do not spit when they go into the hot oil. 

5. Deep-fry the chips in batches, a handful at a time, cooking for 2-4 minutes, or until the chips begin to brown. They color further on removal, so remove them just as they take on a brownish hint. Place them on a dish lined with paper towels to remove excess oil and pat with paper towels. 

6. Allow to rest, remove the paper towels, and season with the sea salt. It is good to season the chips while they are still hot, as then the salt sticks to them. 

7. To store, put into a sealed bag or tupperware container with a good seal. They last up to 2 weeks—or at least that's the longest that we've managed to keep them uneaten. 

Enjoy your cooking with your loved one

Sumber buku: Duval timothy; Folayemi brown; & Jacob fodio todd, Food from across africa, May 2016