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because when they're done properly, they're like fritters--light and crisp on the outside, almost like they've been breaded.
They have to be very ripe to start with, the skin nearly all black. The first cooking should be in oil at a moderate temperature, to make sure the plaintain is cooked through. The second cooking is at a higher temperature, the cooked plantain re introduced to the pan and squashed down to a small patty.
My guess is that the places that do them badly have missed either the ripeness or the thorough precooking or both.
The other way to do them is to slice them lengthwise on a mandoline and immerse them in deep fat. I'm not nuts about this method, personally, but you do find them used as a garnish this way and they are edible. Just don't use them to scoop anything up or you'll wear it.
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