Fried Plantains

Last weekend I headed to sunny Georgia to surprise my dear friend Kellie at the opening of her first show in her new city of residence, Atlanta. Kellie, an incredible painter, has shown her work in galleries all over the world, from New York to Germany. And in the years since we graduated from MICA I haven’t ever been able to attend one of her shows. But now, with her here in the South just a mere 6 hours drive due West, I had my chance!

I love surprising people but I’m horrible at keeping secrets which means I’m mostly just plain bad at surprises. So the fact that Kellie was so surprised and happy to see me when I walked into the gallery that she cried and fanned her face with her hands like a teary old lady is pure gold. And a testament to the sneakiness of Kellie’s boyfriend Corey, who kindly acted as my accomplice.

The weekend, in its entirety, was perfect. Beyond the opening we enjoyed two days of beautiful in Atlanta- enjoying the warm Spring weather that felt like summer, walking around the botanical gardens, catching up. That’s the best thing about old friends, you just pick up where you left off, even if it’s been months or years since you’ve really spent time together.

Kellie and her family are from Trinidad, and on Saturday Kellie threw a party for her friends and family with mountains of Trinidadian food, made locally at a place in Marietta. It was all delicious, especially the doubles, but I spent the majority of my time hovering over the tray of fried plantains. When fried, plantains, a starchier relative of the banana, are the quintessential summer treat. After eating basically my body weight in plantains at Kellie’s I immediately came home and fried some more for myself. I have no regrets.

 Fried Plantains

4 over-ripe plantains

3 tbsp coconut oil

Honey or sour cream for dipping

Cut your plantains thinly, about 1/4″, and on the diagonal so the pieces are long and slanted. Melt coconut oil in the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crisp. Serve hot on their own or with honey or sour cream to dip.