You don’t really need a recipe to make plátanos maduros, but there are definitely some things to know to get them just right.
The first is how to select your plantains.
The second is how to cook them based on how ripe they are. There are four levels of ripeness, and each is prepared differently.
Super Ripe: Sweet Maduros
If you want a sweet plantain, it has to be really ripe—dark skin and soft to the touch. When peeled, the flesh is golden and soft.
A truly ripe plantain MUST be sliced lengthwise, and handled gently. You can cut in half or even thirds too if they are very long. Heat enough vegetable oil to submerge plátano halfway, and fry quickly on each side until just golden on medium-high. There is so much sugar on a really ripe maduro that it will burn very fast, so do not use high heat. Drain on brown paper as it will stick to anything else.
Just Ripe: Salty Maduros
If your plantain is ripe, but not yet super soft and fully black, it is still a little starchy. These are the classic Sueiro favorite, cut it in one inch thick coins, double fried and salted.
The first step is to peel them carefully to preserve the skins for the pressing step, which you will do after the first fry step. Use a paring knife to slice off both ends, then make one long cut along the length of the plátano. Carefully peel the skin back like a jacket to remove the fruit inside. You should have a single cylindrical peel to set aside.
Slice the fruit into 1 inch thick coins, and fry in vegetable oil until golden on both sides. Remove to a plate, and let cool slightly. Then one at a time, place the fried coin inside the peel and press down to lightly smash, then add it back to the hot oil and fry again on both sides. Drain on a paper towel, salt if you like, and serve immediately.
Do not even think about smashing the fried plantain with anything other than the peel, because it will stick to everything and make a mess.
Unripe: Starchy Platano Verde
If it’s a green plantain, there is no sweetness yet, and you can make them a number of salty or garlicky styles. Note these can be super hard to peel, take your time. Cut off the ends, make a single incision lengthwise, then peel back both ends with your thumbs. You may even need a knife to peel back the skin from the fruit. Try to keep the peel intact if you plan to make tostones! Some people recommend submerging the scored platano in hot water for five minutes to make it easier to peel.
To make mariquitas, slice as thin as you can, and deep fry like potato chips. Salt well, and you can even serve with a dip like a spicy mayonnaise.
Or you can make tostones, which are cut into sections, mashed into a pancake, fried, mashed, fried again and served with mojo de ajo. It’s basically the same process as above, but harder to mash and served with garlic oil.
Yellow Plantains: Pintón
Pintón means a platano is hard and yellow, so that it isn’t really green but not yet ripe. It is typically used to make fufu (Cuban), or mofongo (Puerto Rican). In my book, pintón plátanos are unusable. Unfortunately, this is how they are usually sold in American grocery stores. You can try to ripen them on the counter or in a paper bag for a few days, but they might get black without ever getting soft or sweet.
If you actually like fufu, you peel then cut the platano in chunks and boil it 30 minutes. Meanwhile cook some bacon, onions, and garlic in a pan. Drain and mash the platano and add the onion mixture. Add hot water or broth in a thin stream while mashing until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Fufu is usually served as a side to meat stews like ropa vieja.