Hemingway calls this dish fried bananas in The Old Man and the Sea, but Santiago and Manolin no doubt enjoyed fried plantains (plantanos), a larger, flatter version of the common banana with more starch and less sugar. The cooking method depends on the ripeness of the fruit, with the less ripe, very green plantains requiring an additional cooking stage.
2-4 plantains, either very green or almost completely black
Oil for frying
To peel the plantains, cut the tips of both ends, make slits in the skin lengthwise, and unwrap the peel of the plantain under running water.
For green plantains: Cut the plantain into 1-inch slices. Deep-fry over low heat until tender. Drain on brown paper. When cool enough to touch, flatten each slice with the palm of your hand. Reheat the oil over high heat until very hot. Dip each plantain slice in a bowl of iced, salted water. Pat dry, then fry quickly until browned. Drain on brown paper and serve.
Excerpted from The Hemingway Cookbook by Craig Boreth (c) Craig Boreth 1998. Used with permission of Craig Boreth.