Tostones (Dominican Twice-Fried Plantains): without a doubt, one of our favorite side dishes. With a very crispy texture, is vastly preferred to French fries.
Peel the plantains (see how to), discard the ends of the plantain and cut the flesh into 1 inch [2.5 cm] thick slices.
2. Fry the plantains
To fry the tostones, heat the oil over medium heat in a small saucepan, and lower the plantain slices into the oil with a slotted spoon. Fry the plantains till light golden (about 5 mins). Flatten the plantains using a tostonera (Amazon affiliate link) to about ¼" [0.5 cm] (I prefer thin tostones as they are crispier and stay so longer). You can also use the bottom of a big jar and press on a cutting table if you don't have a tostonera.Fry the plantains again until they turn golden yellow on both sides (about 5 minutes).
3. Serving
Sprinkle with salt to taste and serve immediately. Best served freshly fried.
How to make tostones garlic dip (optional)
Make the dip: Pulse all the ingredients (tomato, parsley, garlic, pepper, olive oil) until thoroughly blended but not liquefied.
Video
Notes
My favorite tip to make crispy tostones is to flatten as thinly as possible, this will keep them crispy longer too.