How to pick the perfect plantain for dodo
Great dodo starts long before the frying pan. It starts at the market, with the right plantain. Here’s how we choose ours, and how you can too.
The four stages of plantain
Green
Hard and starchy, not sweet. Best for plantain chips, boiling or porridge.
Yellow
Ripe and lightly sweet, holds its shape well. Good dodo.
Yellow with black spots
The sweet spot for dodo: soft, sweet and it caramelises beautifully.
Mostly black
Very sweet and very soft. Fry gently, as it can fall apart.
Five tips for buying plantain
- Press gently. Ripe plantain should give a little, like a ripe avocado.
- Check the skin. Avoid mould, deep cracks or a sour smell.
- Buy for the week. Mix ripeness levels so you have perfect dodo every few days.
- Speed it up. Keep green plantain in a paper bag at room temperature to ripen faster.
- Don’t refrigerate unripe plantain. The cold blackens the skin and stops it ripening properly.
How to cut it
Slice on a diagonal for longer pieces with more surface to caramelise, or dice into cubes for quick, crispy bites. Not too thin: about the thickness of your finger keeps the inside soft.
Medium heat, a pinch of salt and a little patience. Turn once, when the edges are deep gold.
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