It’s time for A Fork & A Flick Friday again! Today, I have a foodie movie that will take you on a culinary road trip with some of the tastiest food truck cuisine between L.A. and Miami. The Chef is a movie that takes you on a journey and teaches you that whether it’s a super-trendy restaurant or a tiny kitchen on wheels that you cook in, what matters is connecting with family, being true to yourself and experiencing food as one of life’s great pleasures.
Chef Carl Casper, played by Jon Favreau suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner, Dustin Hoffman. He is left to figure out what’s next and finds himself in Miami. Carl teams up with his son and ex-wife, played by Sofía Vergara, as well as his best friend, played by John Leguizamo to launch a food-truck business. The venture provides a chance to reignite his passion for cooking — as well as his zest for life and love.
As his ex-wife, Inez, helps encourage Carl to start over by coming to Miami and spending some long overdue time with his son, a culinary reawakening infused with multicultural flavors occurs for Carl. A savory recipe for Tostones, which are fried plantain slices, was created for this film by Chef Roy Choi. The original recipe involves a chili vinegar that is served with the twice deep fried plantains. My plantains are served with a salsa, but I remained true to a twice fried recipe for Tostones.
Ingredients
2 green plantains
1-2 cups vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Salsa (optional)
Method
- 1. Peel the plantains by making a vertical cut through the skin and peeling it back with your hands or the edge of a spoon.
- 2. Slice the plantains into 1-inch thick pieces. Toss the pieces in a bowl with salt.
- 3. Heat a layer of oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
- 4. Fry the plantains in batches. When the plantains are starting to turn light golden brown, remove from the oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- 5. Smash each piece with the back of a wooden spoon - this gives you a flatter shape with rougher edges.
- 6. Return to the frying pan and fry for an additional 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer back to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
- 7. Serve immediately with Salsa
