Add the oil or butter to the skillet and heat over medium-low to medium heat. Give it a minute or two to heat up, but do not wait for it to start smoking.


Plantains have a high sugar content. As a result, they burn easily if they come into contact with extremely high heat.






Use butter if you want to create a richer, more dessert-like plantain dish.






Use oil if you plan to serve the plantains as a side dish. Olive oil, safflower oil, corn oil, and coconut oil are all good options.





;
, Remove the skin and divide the plantains into slices or halves.

Ripe plantains are almost entirely black.






Use a paring knife to cut off the ends of the plantains. Make three shallow, lengthwise slits in the side of the skin. Peel the skin away starting from these slits.






Cut the plantains into 1/4-inch (6.35-mm) slices if you plan on frying them and serving them without additional seasonings or sweeteners.






For a more elegant presentation, split the plantains in half lengthwise, using a knife to divide them from top to bottom.
 Add the plantains to the skillet and fry for 2 minutes or until golden-brown on the bottom. Flip with a spatula and Sauté the other side for an additional 1 or 2 minutes.Arrange the plantains in a single layer inside the pan to ensure even browning.






Do not allow the plantains to blacken.
 Stir the three ingredients together in a small bowl and spoon the mixture over the plantains. Continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds or so, just until the sugar begins to caramelize.For a simpler plantain dish, omit this step.
 Transfer sweetened plantains to a serving dish or drain the oil from non-sweetened plantains.


If you did not add sugar to the plantains and merely fried them in oil, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a plate covered with several layers of paper towel. Let them sit for a few minutes to allow the excess oil to soak into the paper towels.
If you did caramelize sugar over the plantains, draining them is not necessary. Use a normal serving spoon to transfer them directly to a serving platter.
 Fried plantains should be eaten immediately for the best flavor.

For sweetened plantains, you may drizzle an additional 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of melted butter over the plantains before serving them.






To use plantains as a side dish, consider serving unsweetened plantains over hot rice.
Heat the oil in a skillet.
Peel and slice the plantains.
Sauté the plantains until browned.
Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and brown sugar, if desired.
Remove the plantains from the heat.
Serve hot.
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