If it walks like a banana and talks like a banana it must be a banana! WRONG! If you’ve never seen a plantain, you probably actually have! huh? A plantain is from the same genus as the humble banana but this baby is eaten cooked and green. Unlike the banana, AKA the dessert banana, plantains are more starch than sugar, and therefore are eaten cooked when still green, AND because of their starch content they resemble potatoes when cooked.
Plantains have been used for hundreds of years as a staple and prime energy source for the people of India, Southeast Asia, South America and East Africa. They are rich in the beneficial starch that is used in both the treatment and prevention of stomach ulcers. They also have fiber, Vitamins A, C, B6 and potassium. If you’re paleo or primal you’ve definitely already become acquainted with these!
These plantain chips make a nutritious snack any time of the day. Sometimes they even make an appearance on the breakfast plate!
**Libby’s note: if you’re new to plantains scroll down past the recipe to learn how to peel and prep them. 🙂
- 2 plantains (evenly sliced with mandolin or food processor)
- coconut oil
- sea salt
- Preheat oven to 325' and place rack in center of oven. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl combine plantain slices with 2-3 tbsp of melted coconut oil (be generous) and sea salt (be generous).
- Combine well with your hands to ensure even coverage.
- Lay evenly in single file on baking sheet and place in preheated oven. Separate them the best you can because they tend to stick together. *I like to have a little extra coconut oil on hand to coat the ones that may have gotten missed*
- Check after 15 minutes. If they are crispy and dried, flip them and bake for another 5 mins.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely (they will crisp up further as they cool).
- *note baking times are for thinly cut chips. Adjust accordingly.
- Heat enough coconut oil to cover the bottom of a large frying pan.
- Place the chips (unsalted) in (1 deep) and fry for a few minutes. When color has changed slightly, flip and repeat.
- Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towel or dish cloth and repeat.
- Once all have been fried, toss all the previously fried chips back into pan to reheat and recoat with oil. Remove and immediately toss with a generous helping of salt.
- Allow to cool completely and they will crisp up further as they cool.
- Store in an airtight jar.
Handling Plantains:
When making these chips you will want to look for green plantains as the more yellow they are, the sweeter they are. Yellow plantains, like bananas, are softer and more difficult to work with in this particular case. To prep them for these chips:
- Cut off both ends of the plantain and cut the plantain in half.
- Cut a slit along the length of each half. Be sure to only slice the peel and not the plantain.
- Slide your knife under the slit to pull away the peel then pull it off the plantain.
- If any remnants of peel remain on the plantain, gently slice it off with your knife.
