A simple northern Peruvian snack with serious crunch. Green plantain is sliced thin and fried until golden, dry and crisp, then salted while still hot. Three ingredients make one of those classics that disappears almost as soon as it reaches the table.
Score the green plantain peel lengthwise, remove it, and slice the flesh into 1 to 2 mm pieces with the mandoline. Work slowly and stop before your fingers approach the blade; the slices should be very thin and even so they fry at the same rate.
Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a deep skillet. Test it with one slice: it should bubble immediately without darkening at once. Fry the plantain in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, separating the slices with a skimmer, until lightly golden, rigid and crisp; remove them as soon as they reach that point so they do not turn bitter.
Transfer the chifles to paper towels and immediately add the salt, tossing to distribute it before they cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature: they should be dry, brittle and crisp all the way through, without tasting greasy.
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