Crunchy Plantain Fries Drizzled in a Creamy Cheddar, Muenster, Mozzarella Cheese Sauce, Topped with Applewood Smoked Bacon

Plantains are a very popular cuisine in Miami given that we have a large Central and South American Population. But plantains are not only a part of these countries cuisine. They are also very popular in West African cuisines. There are so many ways to eat them. The Cubans usually cut them into rounds and fry them until they are sweet and carmelized and then they are served alongside meat and rice dishes. In this case, the plantains are cut and cooked when they are not green anymore, but yellow and the skin is starting to turn black. Many cuisines in Columbia and in Ecuador serve them as part of a savory potato stew. In this dish, the plantains have been cooked and served like a French Fry. For these fries, you will want them crisp. So I suggest that you use a plantain that is more towards the green stage. Most grocery stores sell them green so you will not have to keep them too long before cutting and frying them. I thought that serving them this way is a modern, fusion type of cuisine putting an American twist on them by topping them with the exact same sauce you would toss into your macaroni and cheese.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Frying Time: 8-20 minutes, depending on the size of your fry pan and how many separate batches you will need to fry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 large green plantains

canola or corn oil for frying

1 cup milk

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs flour

slight pinch of nutmeg

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup shredded muenster cheese

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 tsp salt (this is for the cheese sauce)

4 slices thick sliced Applewood smoked bacon

sour cream

salt and pepper to taste on the fries

Directions:

Peel and cut your plantains. Plantains are not as easy to peel as bananas. Cut off each end, then make a slice through the peel longways being careful to not cut into the flesh. Peel and cut in half. Then cut each slice in half again. Slice the plantains into fries.

Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside. Make the cheese sauce first, so that it is ready and you can drizzle it right away onto your fries as soon as the fries are done and your fries do not get cold.

Warm the cup of milk slightly in the microwave. Do not boil. Melt the butter in a fry pan on medium low heat. Do not brown the butter. Whisk in the flour quickly, stirring constantly. This is your “roux” which will thicken your cheese sauce. Slowly add the milk to your roux and stir constantly until your sauce is slightly thickened. Add salt and a tiny pinch of nutmeg. Stir in the three cheeses. Remove the sauce from the stove. Set aside.

Heat the oil to medium high in a fry pan, fryer or a large pot. When the oil is ready you can put in a tiny drop of water to test it and make sure the water sizzles. Place your fries in the pan to fry. Do not crowd them. If you crowd them, then they will not get crisp and they will not crisp up the way you wish. Mushy, oily fries are not what you are trying to achieve. Fry until slightly brown and crisp. This will take 8-10 minutes per batch. Remove fries to a plate lined with paper towels. Salt heavily as they will soak up a lot of salt and salty fries are yummy.

Drizzle the fries with the cheese sauce. Then place some sour cream on the side. Top with the bacon crumbles. Serve right away.