Patacones con Hogao
Twice-fried green plantains, flattened and crisped, with hogao for spooning over. The Colombian answer to fries, and better.
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total
- 40 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- easy
Patacones are green plantains fried twice: once to soften, then flattened and fried again until crisp. They go next to fish on the coast, under shredded meat in the interior, and straight from pan to mouth everywhere.
Hogao is the sauce half of Colombian cooking rests on: spring onion and tomato cooked down slow. Spoon it over the hot patacones and you have the whole point of the dish.
Patacones are number 11 on our list of the top 20 famous Colombian foods.
method
Make the hogao first: cook the spring onions in the oil over medium heat until soft, add the tomatoes, garlic and cumin, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until thick and jammy. Season with salt and keep warm.
Peel the plantains: cut off the ends, score the skin lengthwise along the ridges, and pry it off. Cut into chunks about 4 cm thick.
Fry the chunks at 160°C (325°F) for 5 to 6 minutes until pale golden and soft in the middle. Lift them out.
Stand each piece on end and flatten it to about 1 cm with a tostonera, a heavy pan or a plate.
Stir the crushed garlic and a teaspoon of salt into a bowl of water. Dip each flattened patacón quickly, then pat completely dry.
Raise the oil to 190°C (375°F) and fry the patacones again for 2 to 3 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Salt them the moment they come out.
Serve hot with the hogao spooned over or on the side.
chef's tips
- The plantains must be fully green. Any yellow and they fry sweet and soft instead of crisp.
- The garlic-water dip seasons them inside and makes the second fry crisper, but dry them well or the oil will spatter.
- Hogao keeps a week in the fridge and is good on eggs, rice and almost everything else.