Panama is considered the "crossroad of the worlds". You can find about any kind of food in Panama. The plantain vegetable is a really typical Panamanian food. You can find plantains on the street corner and in every restaurant. I cook plantains from time to when I make Jerk Chicken. Here is the two recipes that I used and they came out very good.
This is just the basic fried version:
Patacones (Fried Green Plantain)
3 green plantains
1 teaspoon salt
Oil
Peel plantains and cut into ½ inch slices. Fry in hot oil until golden. Place on cutting board and smash the slices with a glass bottle or rolling pin. Sprinkle with salt and return to pan to fry again. Fry until crispy. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Ketchup is optional! 6-8 Servings.
This is a more sweeter version for plantains.
Tentacion (Candied Plantain "Temptation")
3 large ripe plantains
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
½ teaspoon vanilla
Dash of cinnamon, optional
Hit the plantains on all sides with a wooden spoon to soften. Peel and cut into 5 pieces each. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil on high heat; add plantains. Fry until brown. Combine sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and water. Reduce heat to low and pour liquid over plantains. Continue cooking until the liquid thickens, about 15 minutes. 4-5 Servings
