Versatile, Delicious Plantains

Is this not one of the most beautiful desserts you've ever seen? It's a Banana Plantain Crisp, made by Michelle over at Big Black Dog blog.

A couple weeks ago, after a discussion spurred on by this post, Michelle and I decided it would be fun to do a plantain recipe swap. We'd both post about plantains on the same day, and also post pictures and link to each other's plantain dish.

That was back when I knew absolutely nothing about plantains.
Now? Now I know these things about plantains:

Plantains are more expensive than regular bananas, and you can't find them at every grocery store.

Just like bananas, there are different levels of ripeness. The one on the left, with the black stuff, is more ripe. The one on the right, that's kind of green, is less ripe. The one in the middle? It's . . . well, it's in-between ripe.

I learned that plantains can morph from veggie to fruit. When they're green, they're firmer and similar to potatoes; use as a veggie. When they're blacker, they're softer and sweeter; use for desserts.

Also, keep plantains at room temp. Do not refrigerate.

So what to do with my plantains?
Plucked from the depth of my ever-expanding file of recipes to try

was this wizened newspaper clipping. "Versatile, delicious plantains," it claimed. I believe this article was written sometime during the Carter administration.

The article gave me ideas.

For its first suggestion, I selected the greenest plantain,

then peeled, sliced, and boiled until tender (at least five minutes).

Drain, mash, and season like potatoes.

Not bad.

Suggestion number two: using the medium-ripe plantain, I again peeled and sliced. (Peeling, by the way, takes effort. You don't just peel these babies with your hands like you would a banana. You will need a knife, a sharp one, to pare the skin off.) Saute slices in butter until brown and a bit crispy. Sprinkle with salt.

These make a decent side dish or after-school snack for kids. They're potato-y, kind of like mini hash brown patties you'd get at a fast food restaurant.

The third suggestion was for "fully ripe" fruit. Aaaah, dessert time. I'd saved my blackest plantain for this one.

A surprise, however, was in store. When I cut off the skin, the fruit inside was mottled. My little newspaper clipping had not warned me about mottled fruit. I wasn't sure I wanted to eat mottled fruit. So using my trusty vegetable peeler, I cut off the mottled parts.

Leaving me with this. Posed next to regular bananas for the full effect.

It was a plantain stick. A plantain nugget. A little itty-bitty, mini-plantain.

Not only that, my mini-plantain was very firm. Not much different from the other two. My hopes for a glorious dessert were dashed.

Ditching the article, I decided to slice and saute what was left in butter, salt it and sprinkle with sugar. Hmmm, not bad. Probably the best of the three.

My conclusion? Go visit Michelle over at Big Black Dog blog. When it comes to plantains, that girl knows what she's doing.

So what do you think? Have you ever eaten plantains? Ever cooked with them? Do tell.