By Chef Yadira

Wondering how to Patacones (aka Tostones) ahead of time and save time?

1. Green plantains have a tough outer skin and don’t peel nearly as easy as ripe plantains or bananas. To remove the skin, cut off both ends of the plantain, score it lengthwise in at lease three different places and peel
2. If you are still having a tough time peeling them, soak the scored plantains in a pot of very hot water for 7-10 minutes and try again. Once the skin is removed, cut them into 1-inch chunks
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Place the plantains in the hot oil and fry on both sides, approximately 3-1/2 minutes per side
4. Remove the plantains from the pan and flatten the plantains by placing in a plantain masher (aka tostonera) OR by placing a cup/glass/jar over the fried plantains and pressing down
5. After mashing, let cool for at least 30 minutes and place the cool mashed plantains in a zip locked bag and store in the freezer until ready to use
6. Whenever you want to eat patacones (aka tostones) remove the pieces that you want from the freezer, heat some oil in a pan and place the frozen pieces in the hot oil (no need to thaw). Fry 1 minute on each side. Salt to taste and serve immediately