Stuffed Tostones (Tostones Rellenos)
Ingredients:
For the stuffing
1 tablespoon annatto oil
1 fresh plum tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-1/2 tablespoons basic recaito *see below
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled, cleaned, and diced
For the tostones
3 green plantains peeled and cut in 1 inch diagonal slices
1 cup corn oil
Directions:
1 Heat the annatto oil in a medium skillet. Add the tomato, tomato paste, and recaito sauce. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink. Set aside.
2 In a deep heavy skillet, heat the oil until it is very hot but not smoking. Drop in the plantain slices and brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon, but maintain the oil temperature. Using a tostonera or two pieces of waxed paper, or two plates, or a can of soup, flatten the plantain slices to 1/4 inch thick. Refry until golden brown on both sides. Remove, lightly salt them and drain on paper towels.
3 Place 1 teaspoon of the shrimp mixture on a tostone. Put another tostone on top and secure with a toothpick.
*There are a number of ways to do these. Sometimes I do not put another tostone on top but just leave it open faced with the sauce on top. For the cover photo, I diced up the plantain, left the shrimp whole and put it on a plate as an appetizer.
Basic Recaito
Ingredients
- 2 green peppers seeded
- 4 onions, cut into chunks
- 3 heads of garlic peeled
- 1 red sweet pepper seeded
- 25 leaves of fresh cilantro
- 3 racao leaves- if these are unavailable triple the amount of cilantro
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup oil
How to make it
- Mix all ingredients cut into large pieces in a food processor.
- Process until the desired consistency.
- Add salt and oil and mix well.
- Then pour the mixture into a container with lid and store in refrigerator.
- Use it to spice up their favorite foods.
