This week we are celebrating the Caribbean with its most typical dish, is like a version of the Costa Rican "gallo pinto" but with more flavor. Side of chicken, fresh fish or sea food is the most common way to be served on the coast. I am sharing the recipe of "patacones" to prepare with it, which is also a hit to go with it. What we add in our family to this two, is a very big mixed organic salad or any kind of vegetables preparation.
Ingredients
(Serves 6 people)
Red beans / 300 grs
White rice / 600 grs
Coconut milk / 1 liter
Thyme / 2 tablespoons
Garlic / 1 unit
Habanero pepper / 2 units
Salt / as needed
Green plantains / 3 units
Coconut oil / 250 ml
Directions
Have the beans in water overnight.
The next day cook them in 1/2 liter of coconut milk with half of the garlic, thyme and habannero pepper, also salt as needed.
When tender add the other half of milk and boil for about five minutes.
Then add the rice, salt as needed and the other half of garlic, thyme and habanero pepper. Boil for about 10 minutes in medium/low heat without covering.
Then put the lid on and bring the heat a little bit lower until it gets dry. Make sure the peppers don't get open cause it would get too spicy.
For the “patacones”, peel the plantains, cut them in slices about 1 cm each.
Fry them in the 250 ml of oil until before they get golden.
Take them out and smash them with the flat bottom of a glass (I use a piece of plastic in between the plantain and the glass so it doesn’t stick).
Then when they are smashed fry them again until golden and toasty. Take them out of the oil and put them on top of a paper towel, save the oil in a glass jar for one more frying use.
Enjoy the tropical flavor!
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