About 2 weeks ago, I went to an extremely popular Puerto Rican restaurant called Sol Food in my neighborhood where the line is always out the door. They make these amazing tostones that I’m obsessed with, which are basically double fried and smashed green plantains that are perfectly crispy and dreamy, especially dipped in hot sauce. I remember the first time eating them exclaiming, “I CAN’T believe these are gluten free!” maybe about 5 times. Anyway, immediately after eating there last time, I went to buy green plantains and placed them in my fruit basket so I can recreate Sol Food’s delicious tostones at home.

And since I’m the worst and either extremely forgetful or extremely lazy, that’s where the green plantains have been hanging out ever since, turning yellow to brown to black. I found them a few days ago looking sad and lame and begging to be turned into a sweet treat.

So while my tostones dream has been crushed temporarily, I resorted to making these coconut plantain medallions which was a spontaneous idea that came to me after frantically scanning my pantry to see what I can do with the overripe plantains. Not only are they deliciously sweet, the coconut flakes go so well with the caramelized flavor of the plantains. I felt like I was eating cookies that are both chewy and crispy which, in my opinion, is a texture match made in heaven.

COCONUT PLANTAIN MEDALLIONS

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

Author: Jean Choi

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Ingredients

• 1 large very ripe (almost black) plantain
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

1. Cut the ends off the plantain, and score the length of the skin lightly so you don't pierce through the flesh.
2. Peel the plantain and cut it into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices.
3. Pour coconut flakes into a bowl, and coat both sides of the plantain slices by pressing them into the coconut.
4. Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
5. Once the oil is heated, fry the coated plantain slices in the skillet in a single layer. Flatten them down slightly with a spatula and cook them for 1 minute on each side.
6. Sprinkle with more coconut flakes and serve immediately.