An Ecaudorian favorite, patacones are basically double-fried plantains. They are equivalent to French fries or tater tots.

How to Make Patacones

1)Obtain plantains- these are like big, starchy bananas. They will look black when they are ripe. Peel the plantains- you will need to make an incision in the skin somewhere, and then you should be able to peel off the rest of it without breaking a nail.

2)Slice the plantain as thick or as thin as you wish. The thinner the slices, the crisper they will cook.

3)Fry the slices in some cooking oil- vegetable oil will work just fine. Be careful when placing the slices in the hot oil- plop gently to avoid splashing and pain.

4)After they look crispy, take them out and place them on some kind of dish. Now you can smush them! The bottom of a mug serves well for this purpose. This step makes them extra-tasty and crisp.

5)Now fry them again. After they are sufficiently cooked, remove them from the pan and salt them to your taste. Let them cool and then enjoy- straight from Ecuador to you, delicious patacones.