AI-generated image
Plátanos fritos con crema
Fried plantain with cream
Tabasco's fried ripe plantain with cream and fresh cheese
Tabasco grows more plantain than almost anywhere in Mexico, and in Villahermosa homes fried ripe plantain arrives with breakfast eggs, alongside rice and black beans at lunch, or on its own as a sweet-savoury supper. The local touch is to finish the hot, caramelised slices with a spoon of tangy crema and a snow of crumbled fresh cheese, so you get sweet, salty and sour in one bite. Chef's tip: wait until the skins are almost black; yellow plantains taste starchy and never caramelise.
- Total time
- 17 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe plantainsskins mostly black
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 ⅛ oz queso frescocrumbled; often made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian one
- 1 pinch flaky salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Peel 2 very ripe plantains by cutting off the ends and slitting the skin along its length. Slice on a long diagonal, 1 cm thick.
Step 2: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the slices in one layer for 3–4 minutes a side, until deep golden-brown with sticky, caramelised edges. Common mistake: a pan that is too hot; the sugars burn black before the inside turns soft and custardy.
8 minStep 3: Drain briefly on kitchen paper and arrange on a warm plate.
Step 4: Spoon ½ cup Mexican crema or soured cream over the hot plantain, scatter with 2 ⅛ oz queso fresco and a little 1 pinch flaky salt and serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does plátanos fritos con crema take?
- About 17 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Chipotles en adoboSmoked jalapenos in adobo sauce
Chipotles are ripe jalapeños smoked slowly over wood until leathery; in Puebla and Veracruz the reddish, plump mora type is the everyday one, and the tan, leathery meco is prized for its deeper smoke. Simmered in a sweet-sour adobo of tomato, onion, garlic, vinegar and piloncillo, they become the soft, glossy chillies that go into tinga poblana, albóndigas en chipotle, bean soups and a quick chipotle mayonnaise. Homemade, they are smokier and less sugary than the tinned kind, with sauce that is brick red, tangy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Common mistake: toasting the dried chillies too long; a few seconds a side is enough, because scorched chillies make the whole jar bitter. This is a low-acid chilli preserve, so it is kept in the fridge or freezer, never canned in a water bath. It is ready when the chipotles are plump and soft enough to crush with a spoon and the adobo has reduced to a glossy sauce. Chef's tip: blend one or two chillies with their sauce and freeze it in an ice-cube tray, so you can add a single cube to a pot.
Black bean tacos with lime slaw
Proof that a meat-free taco night can be the best one. The beans are mashed with chipotle and cumin so they hold together in the tortilla, and a quick lime slaw adds crunch.
MarquesitasCheese and cajeta crepes
Evening in Mérida's Plaza Grande means the smell of marquesitas: thin batter pressed in hot hinged irons until crisp, then rolled like a cigar around grated Edam cheese and a sweet filling such as cajeta, chocolate-hazelnut spread or jam. Edam came to the Yucatán through the port trade with the Netherlands and became part of the local cooking, and the salty-sweet combination is the whole point. At home you can cook them in a thin, wide frying pan. Edam is usually made with animal rennet, so check the label or use a vegetarian Gouda-style cheese. Chef's tip: roll while the crêpe is still in the pan and hot; within seconds it hardens and will crack.




