I'm trying to make sweet fried plantains (maduros) but I'm not having much success. I've tried frying on low, medium, and high heat and with varying amounts of oil. The plantains never come out soft and sweet but dry (depending on cooking time) and starchy tasting. I suspect it is because the fruit is either not ripe or bad quality.
Compared to a ripe banana, how soft should the plantain be before peeling? Once peeled, how soft should the flesh be? Also, should it be sweet prior to frying? The pic below shows a fruit prior to preparation. Does this look ripe enough? I have also tried letting it ripen until the skin was almost completely black but at that point the fruit seems to have gotten bad.