Paper-Thin Green Plantain Chips with Garlic-Lime Salt

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Rock-hard green plantains shaved translucent on a mandoline, given a quick lime-salt brine, then fried until they blister into shattering, faintly sweet chips. A dusting of garlic-lime salt hits them while the oil is still glistening, so every shard tastes seasoned to the edge. Better than any bag, and they take about 40 minutes start to finish.

Ingredients

• 2 large green plantains (hard, no yellow spots)
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 5 cups neutral frying oil (peanut, canola, or vegetable)

• 1 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt, crushed fine between your fingers
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp finely grated lime zest
• 1/4 tsp cayenne or ancho chile powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Make the garlic-lime salt first so it's ready the second the chips come out: on a small plate, rub the flaky salt, garlic powder, lime zest, cayenne, and sugar together with your fingertips until the zest is evenly distributed and the mixture smells sharply of lime. Set it beside the stove with a spoon.
2. Peel the plantains. Cut off both ends, then run a paring knife lengthwise through the thick skin in 3 or 4 places, cutting just to the flesh. Slide your thumb or the back of a spoon under each strip and pry the skin away in panels. If it fights you, soak the cut plantain in warm water for 3 minutes and try again. Scrape off any stringy fibers.
3. In a large bowl, stir the cold water, kosher salt, and lime juice until the salt dissolves. Set a mandoline to 1/16 inch (about 1.5 mm) — thin enough that you can nearly see light through a slice — and, using the hand guard, slice the plantains directly into the brine. For long, dramatic chips, slice lengthwise; for coins, slice crosswise. Work with only one plantain's worth in the brine at a time so nothing sits longer than about 10 minutes. No mandoline? Use a Y-peeler for lengthwise ribbons, or a sharp knife and accept slightly thicker, more rustic chips.
4. Soak the slices 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the oil into a heavy 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven so it comes no more than a third of the way up the sides, clip on a deep-fry thermometer, and heat over medium to 350°F. Line two sheet pans with paper towels or set wire racks over them.
5. Drain the slices and dry them aggressively: lay them in a single layer on clean kitchen towels, press another towel on top, and blot. Any surface water will make the oil erupt, and damp plantains fry limp instead of crisp. Peel apart any slices stuck together.
6. Fry in small batches — about 12 to 15 slices, never crowded — dropping them in one at a time so they don't clump. They will bubble hard for the first minute. Stir and separate with a spider or slotted spoon, and fry 2 to 3 minutes total, until the bubbling slows dramatically and the chips are pale gold with faintly browned edges. They crisp further as they cool, so pull them before they go deep brown.
7. Lift the batch to the towels, shake off excess oil, and immediately shower with a pinch of the garlic-lime salt while the surface is still shiny — that's the only moment the seasoning will stick. Let the oil climb back to 350°F between batches (it will drop about 25°F each time) and repeat with the remaining slices.
8. Cool the chips 5 minutes in a single layer; they go from bendy to glassy as they lose the last heat. Taste one and add more garlic-lime salt if needed, then pile into a bowl and serve right away, ideally with a lime wedge to squeeze over the top just before eating.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem