Twice-fried green plantain disks — first fried soft, smashed flat between two boards (or under a glass), then fried crisp. The Haitian version is thicker and saltier than Cuban tostones; eaten with pikliz on top or as a side to almost every Haitian meal. Cracker-crisp outside, starchy and slightly chewy inside.
Pan-Caribbean two-fry-smash technique applied to green plantain — green because the starch hasn't yet converted to sugar, which lets the disc hold structure. The Haitian-specific touch: salt the slices BEFORE the first fry (Cuban tostones salt only at the end); the salt penetrates the soft starch and seasons throughout.
First crunch is sharp, audible — the high-temperature second fry made a glass-like crust. Inside is softer than a chip, more like a thick savory cracker with starch chew. Pikliz on top hits with vinegar and scotch bonnet, the perfect counterpoint. Hot bannann peze is golden; cooled-and-stored ones go leathery and lose the magic.
First fry at 160°C gelatinizes the plantain starch — converts it from raw crystalline form to a soft mass. Smashing flat then exposes much more surface area while the starch is still hot/pliable. Second fry at 190°C dehydrates the new surface and forms a hard crust (Maillard + starch-glass transition). Two-temperature technique is structural; one fry can't do both.
Variations
Cuban tostones use no pre-soak; salt only at the end. The Dominican Republic also has fritos maduros — ripe, yellow plantains fried just once for sweetness — but that is a separate dish, not a ripe-plantain version of tostones (tostones are by definition green and twice-fried). Some Haitian cooks dip the smashed disks in saltwater between fries, which gives a glassier crisp shell.
On the Palate
Where Bannann Peze sits in the Haitian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
6 steps · 20 min active + 5 min waiting
- 15 min
Peel 4 green plantains. Slice into 2.5 cm thick rounds.
- 210 min
Soak slices in salted warm water (1 tbsp salt per cup) 10 min. Drain, pat dry.
- 36 min
Heat 2 cm oil in a skillet to 160°C. Fry plantain rounds 3 min per side until pale gold and softened. Remove.
Watch outFirst fry stays gentle — the plantain should turn pale gold and go soft, not brown; you only want it cooked through to smash.
- 43 min
Smash each piece between two cutting boards (or in a tostonera) to about 1 cm thick.
Watch outSmash while the rounds are still hot and pliable — let them cool and they crack apart instead of flattening.
- 54 min
Increase oil temp to 190°C. Re-fry smashed rounds 2 min per side until deeply golden and crisp.
Watch outSecond fry runs hotter to crisp the outside — wait for a deep gold and a firm crust before pulling.
- 62 min
Drain on paper. Salt immediately. Serve hot with pikliz, or as a side.
