Patacónes are Central American fried plantain medallions. They are consumed as a snack or substituted for bread in savoury sandwiches. Most patacón sandwiches consist of a shredded meat, avocado, tomato, lettuce and several spicy sauces. This shredded chicken patacón recipe is authentic, delicious and easy to reproduce at home. When making this recipe NEVER leave the pot of oil on the burner unattended. Clear the room of distractions such as kids and pets. Watch your oil and thermometer closely. If it starts to smoke take it off the burner and set it aside to cool slightly.
Servings: 2 – Preparation Time: 1/2 hour
Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup plus 2-3 tbsps light mayo
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsps chipotle sauce
3 tbsps home made or good quality salsa
2 green plantains
salt to taste
1 tomato
1 avacado
handfull of lettuce
Instructions
When purchasing plantains for this recipe, be sure to purchase unripe green plantains. The yellow and brown fully ripened plantains have an altogether different flavour. In a small sauce pan add the chicken breast and fill with water until the breast is submerged. Add 1 tsp salt and bring the chicken to a boil. When the chicken has been boiling for 15 minutes remove it from the boiling water and test if it is cooked through. (If the interior is even slightly pink return it to the boiling water until you are confident the chicken is fully cooked). Drain the boiling water. Put the breast back in the sauce pan and cover with cold water and set aside to cool.
The base for the three sauces is mayonnaise. For this recipe I use 1/2 fat mayo and it tastes great. (With deep fried plantains as the ‘bread’ for our sandwich, it’s nice to know we have cut the fat elsewhere in this recipe). For the first sauce I combine 1/4 cup mayo with 2 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp finely diced cilantro. For the second sauce I used 1/4 cup of mayo mixed with 2 tsps chipotle sauce. The third sauce I made by mixing 1/4 cup of mayo with 3 tbsps of homemade or good quality salsa.
To prepare the chicken salad filling, begin by removing the chicken breast from the cool water and patting it dry. In a clean bowl begin to shred the chicken breast with two forks. Add 2-3 tbsps of the mayo and a little salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.
Now it’s time to prepare the plantains. Slice off both ends of the plantain. Run a sharp knife lengthwise down the plantain. Under cool running water peel the plantain. (The cool water makes it easier to remove the peel). Cut the peeled plantains in to three equally sized pieces. You should have 6 pieces in total.
In a small saucepan bring enough oil to cover the plantain to a boil. (Roughly 1 ½ -2 cups). Using a deep fry or candy thermometer to measure the temperature, begin adding the plantain pieces three at a time once the temperature has reached 350°F. Fry them for 2-3 minutes until they become golden brown in spots. Set fried plantains aside on paper towels to dry. Repeat with the next batch. Before re-frying the plantain pieces, place them between two sheets of plastic wrap on a cutting board or durable surface. Begin hammering them gently with a mallet to flatten them. Increase the temperature of the oil to 375°F. Once all the pieces have been flattened, return them to the frying oil. Working with two at a time, fry them for 2-3 minutes, until nicely golden. Remove them and repeat with the remaining pieces. Sprinkle the drying pieces with salt and when cool enough to touch, assemble your sandwiches. Enjoy!
tyler christian brown 