Bacon-Wrapped Prawns on a Bed of Tostones

Plantains (plátanos) are a staple in Latin American cooking. They are similar to a banana, but they must be cooked before you can eat them.

Yellow plantains are ripe and sweet, and can be baked or sautéed to make maduros (I promise to add the recipe for maduros on another post).

Green, or unripe plantains, are not sweet. They're peeled, sliced, and fried to make tostones (more commonly called fritos verdes in the Dominican Republic). 

Tostones are as common a side dish in places like the DR, Puerto Rico and Cuba, as french fries are in the United States. They are crispy and delicious, and go great with just about any main dish.

Bacon-Wrapped Prawns on a Bed of Tostones

Serves 2

For the prawns:

8 large prawns, shelled and deveined, tails removed
2 Tablespoons bourbon
3 Tablespoons maple syrup (use real maple syrup if you have it)
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon soy sauce
4 slices bacon, uncooked
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Non-stick cooking spray
1/2 lemon cut in wedges

For the tostones:

2 green plantains
vegetable oil
salt

In a bowl combine the bourbon, syrup, mustard, orange juice and soy sauce. Add the prawns to the bowl and coat the prawns completely. Tightly cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.

Make the tostones:

Fill a medium bowl with water and add a teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
Peel the plantains and cut diagonally into 1" thick slices. Place the slices into the salt water and leave for 5 minutes or so. Remove from the water and dry completely on paper towel.

Heat approximately 1-1/2" of vegetable oil in a large pan over high heat. Fry the plantains in the oil just until they are a bit soft and a golden yellow color, about 3 minutes. Don't brown them. Leave the heat on and remove the plantains from the oil one by one. As you remove them, press to flatten them using either a tostonera (see *Gadgets and Kitchen Tools* on my blog) or the bottom of a heavy saucepan. Flatten to approximately 1/4" thick. Gently place them back in the pan again and fry until golden brown, turning to brown each side. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Set them aside to keep them warm.

Meanwhile, remove the prawns from the marinade. Pour the marinade in a small sauce pan and heat on medium.

Cut each slice of bacon in half. Wrap bacon around each prawn diagonally so it covers most of the prawn.

Spray your broiler pan with the cooking spray. Broil approximately 4 inches from the element, until bacon is crispy and the prawns are opaque - approximately 6 minutes on each side. Brush with the marinade as they are broiling.

Place tostones on a plate and lay the prawns on top of the tostones. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with a lemon wedge.

Buen provecho!