Kpekere (Plantain Chips)
Nigeria's plantain crisps: thin slices of green plantain deep-fried into salted wafer-thin chips. Sold in cellophane bags at bus stations.
Overview
Green plantains peel, the trick is scoring lengthways down the ridges and then prying the skin off in strips (very different from a banana). The peeled plantain slices on a mandoline or with a sharp knife into 2 mm rounds. Fries in hot oil (180°C) 2-3 minutes till deep gold and crisp. Drains; salts while hot. Optional: tosses with chilli powder.
Ingredients
- 4 green (unripe) plantains
- 1 litre neutral oil (or red palm oil for traditional Nigerian flavour)
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder (optional)
Method
Stage 1 - Peel
- Plantain skin is thick and tough. With a sharp knife, score 3-4 lengthways cuts down the ridges of the plantain (don't cut into the flesh - just the skin).
- Pry up a strip of skin at one end; pull off in strips.
- Repeat for all 4 plantains.
Stage 2 - Slice
- With a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice each plantain into 2 mm thick rounds.
- Uniform thickness is essential for even frying.
Stage 3 - Fry
- Heat the oil to 180°C in a wide pan.
- Lower a handful of slices in (don't crowd - fry in 4-5 batches).
- The oil will bubble vigorously.
- Fry 2-3 minutes per batch, stirring once or twice with a slotted spoon, until the chips turn deep golden and stop bubbling vigorously.
- Lift onto a wire rack lined with kitchen paper.
Stage 4 - Season
- While the chips are hot, sprinkle with salt.
- For spiced version, also dust with chilli powder and onion powder; toss gently.
Stage 5 - Cool and serve
- Cool completely before storing - hot chips trap steam.
- Serve in bowls as a snack with cold drinks.
Notes
- Green plantains, not ripe: ripe plantains turn to caramel mush in the fryer. Green plantains are starchy like potatoes and give crisp chips.
- Mandoline if you have one: uniform thinness means uniform frying. Hand-cut works but takes practice.
- 180°C, not hotter: at 200°C the chips burn before they crisp through. 180 gives 2-3 minutes of even cooking.
- Salt HOT: salt sticks only when the oil-slick surface is still warm. Cold chips just shed the salt.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- The chips re-crisp briefly in a 200°C oven 2 minutes if they soften.
- Don't refrigerate - humidity kills the crisp.
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