deep-fried plantains

rule of thumb with healthy eating: it’s ok to indulge once in a while! well, at least i like to think so. ;) here’s a family favorite that mom taught me how to make this weekend for sunday dinner. yes, deep-fried plantains definitely don’t fit in the ‘clean eating’ category… but they do feature plantains (a close relative of the banana), so i suppose you could say it’s an excellent source of potassium! haha! in any case, it’s a popular filipino dessert (turon) that’s surprisingly simple to make with just four basic ingredients.

the fantastic four:
- 6 fresh, ripe plantains (peeled, cut in halves along the vertical)
- white granulated sugar
(tip: you could also use organic cane sugar instead.)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)
- 1 pkg large spring roll pastry wrappers
(tip: you can typically find this in the frozen food aisle at the grocery store or asian food market.)

- gently separate each individual spring roll pastry wrapper from the stack (you’ll need approx 1 dozen sheets)
- place 1/2 of plantain in center of pastry wrapper (on a diagonal)
- sprinkle sugar over plantain

- fold over corner of pastry wrapper and tuck under plantain
- wrap both ends and tuck under each side of plantain
- roll remaining wrapper around plantain
- set aside

- heat large saucepan on stovetop at medium-high heat
- add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) in pan
- once heated, gently place wrapped plantains in pan using metal tongs
(tip: depending on the size of your saucepan, you may need to cook the plantains in two batches.)

-deep-fry wrapped plantains for approx 2-3 min until browned, using metal tongs to carefully flip plantains in pan

(tip: be careful not to burn the plantains. the oil is very hot, so the plantains will cook fairly quickly.)

- sprinkle sugar on top of plantains
- once sugar is caramelized, remove plantains from heat

food styling:
- serve warm
- delish on its own; also goes well with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt on the side

yummers… or, as they say in the philippines, ‘masarap!’ :)