Patacones are my Tita's favorite food in this world. Growing up and even now, she demands her patacones on the table for lunch everyday. Although they are not quite the super food, as they are double fried and generously salted, they are crispy and so satisfying to enjoy with any meal.
If you are not familiarized, patacones are green plantains (the more unripe, the better), chopped in chunks and fully fried, then smashed and refried. The key is frying in them in really hot oil, and letting them turn golden.
In order to balance out the greasy and crispiness of patacones, here are my staple toppings:
Tropical Ceviches
Lets begging with the most important asset in this recipe: my Cilantro Lime Crema.
She works as a base for the fish or shrimp to not fall easily from the patacón (super considerate of me, I know).
Now, whether you prefer white fish or shrimp, I like the marination different for each, but you could play with them according to your liking.
Tilapia in cubes and marinated in a blended mix of lime juice, chopped cilantro, spicy green pepper (the amount to your liking), dash of soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix the marinate with the fish, thinly sliced shallots, and bell peppers.
Shrimp Ceviche
Shrimp in cubes marinated with lime and orange juice, dash of soy sauce, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, and cherry tomatoes.
Pro tip: Add diced ripe mango.
Carne Desmechada
This is how we call in Colombia slow-cooked beef, preferable using a slow-cooker, it will make the meat perfectly juicy and soft in an hour. Not having an ollita a pression, the Colombian term to refer to a tiny pressure cooker, is the only reason I have not been able to make it more often in Italy.
This will hopefully change soon 😉
Grilled Chicken & Corn Salad
This one changed my life during the hot and unbearable Italian summer. Turning on the pan and even eating made me sweat. However, just as my Tita, I cannot spend too long without my patacones. Although ceviche is also fresh, finding the best quality fish and seafood where I am, is not the mot sustainable way to go... so this option was just perfect.
The grilled chicken tastes delicious even at room temperature. Mixing it with the crumbled feta, corn, some diced tomatoes, parsley and lime juice is the way to go.
Add comment
Comments