Arañitas (little spiders) are fritters made from shredded plantains. Use a mostly green plantain or, like mine, your little spiders won’t have any legs. Still delicious, though!
Grate the peeled plantain into long strips. This one is over-ripe for this recipe, so its more mushy than it should be. So, do as I say, not as I did.
Form the shreds into a little patty, roughly the size and shape of a silver dollar. Carefully drop them into hot oil (I’m using peanut oil, taking care to keep it below the smoking point), turning them once with a slotted spoon.
Transfer to a paper napkin-lined plate to drain. Immediately season with lots of s&p and serve hot as an accompaniment to your favorite Cuban dish.
These can be made a day or 2 ahead and reheated in a 350 degree oven if needed, but they are best eaten shortly after frying.
See How to Select a Plantain for a quick description of what to do with plantains at varying stages of ripeness