Sweet Plantain Fritters

Torrejas de Plátano Macho

Makes about 12 fritters; serves 6 Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Batter can be made up to 12 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated

Torrejas are a deluxe Mexican version of French toast, served covered in syrup, honey, or sugar. The most unusual version comes from the state of Campeche in southeast Mexico. Instead of bread or a pancake batter, they are made with ripe plantains and are utterly delicious.

Fluffy, with a crispy crust and soft bite, the fritters can be eaten for dessert or as a luxurious breakfast with Spiced Sweet Mexican Coffee or, if you are feeling decadent, with hot chocolate.

• 4 cups peeled and sliced ripe plantains (about 3; see the sidebar)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch of kosher or coarse sea salt
• Vegetable oil
• Honey, maple syrup, or additional sugar

1. Place the plantains and eggs in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add the sugar and process again until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined. The batter will look fluffy, with streaks from the plantains.
2. Heat ¾ inch of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until very hot but not smoking, 5 to 6 minutes. With a ladle or large spoon, carefully drop a scant ⅓ cup batter for each fritter into the hot oil, taking care to not overcrowd the skillet. Fry the fritters, without moving them, until the bottoms turn golden brown and form a nice crust, about 2 minutes. Turn and continue to fry until the second side is golden brown and crispy, 1½ to 2 minutes more. When the fritters are ready, lift them from the oil with a slotted spoon or skimmer and place on a paper-towel-lined platter. Repeat with the remaining batter.
3. Serve the fritters hot or at room temperature with honey, maple syrup, or sugar.

MEXICAN COOK’S TRICK: As you add the batter to the hot oil, you may need to adjust the heat to keep the oil around the edges of the fritters at a happy, steady simmer. Start with medium heat and then turn it up to medium-high if need be. Depending on your stovetop, you may need to lower it to medium again. If you need to add more oil to keep it at ¾-inch deep, be sure to give the new oil a couple minutes to heat up again before you add more fritters.

Plantains are now available virtually everywhere in the United States. In most areas of Mexico they are called plátanos machos (“macho bananas”) because they look like jumbo bananas, though they are not. While they are from the same family as bananas, culinarily they are much more like a vegetable. They must be cooked, since they are unpleasant raw.

They are at their starchiest when their skin is green. Unlike bananas, when they turn yellow and start to show black freckles, they are only beginning to mature and develop their sugar content. They are ripe and at their sweetest when almost entirely black and very soft.

They will ripen fastest in the warmest area of the kitchen or in a paper bag at room temperature, where they take about 3 days to go from yellow to black. When they are fully ripened, they will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

Plantains can be steamed, grilled, baked, or fried. They are also used to thicken and add flavor to some sauces, moles, and stews.