Are you a Spanish food lover? Then you must try this famous sauce from the Canary Islands. Easy to make and perfect as a condiment for lots of different dishes.
What is a Mojo sauce?
Mojo is a typical sauce from the Canary Islands, an autonomous state of Spain, located on the coast of Africa. This sauce is typically served with a plate of papas arrugadas, also called wrinkled potatoes or salt potatoes and some kind of meat or fish dish. Mojo is made with a base of olive oil, vinegar and garlic, and is a fundamental hallmark of the Canary Islands gastronomy.
If you have ever visited the Canary Islands, you will surely have tried their mojo sauces. There are two typical Mojo sauces, Mojo Rojo is a red Canarian sauce that can be both spicy and mild. The second one is Mojo Verde, which is a green herby Canarian sauce.
Which one is the best one? Should the sauce be hot or mild? That is the question that divides the locals in the Canary Islands. So why not try both and see for yourself.
How traditionally Canarian Mojo is made
The authentic mojo is made with a mortar and pestle, with all the ingredients raw, or with the peppers charred to bring out some extra creamy and smokey flavours. But using a mixer to speed up the process is also acceptable. Some make this sauce spicey, some extra spicey, some mild in its flavours and there is no right amount of heat necessary for Mojo. It all depends on your taste preference.
Recipe for Mojo Rojo
Everyone makes Mojo their way, but the genius of this sauce is that they all preserve the essence of the Mojo. This recipe is for a typical hot Mojo Rojo sauce, that goes well with most dishes and is easy to make at home.
You need:
4 cloves of garlic
1 small dry red chilli pepper or 1 Pimienta picona canaria
1 teaspoon cumin grain or ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
15 ml white wine vinegar
Optional: 2 tablespoons of crushed tomatoes for a milder Mojo
How you make it:
Peel the garlic cloves and add them whole or crushed to a mortar and pestle or a mixer.
Roast the peppers in the oven or over an open flame until the skin is blackened.
Peel the peppers and add them to the pesto mortar and pestle or a mixer.
Chop the chilli pepper into smaller pieces and add, salt, cumin and sweet paprika powder to the mortar or the mixer. If you wish the Mojo to be milder in flavour, add the crushed tomatoes, but they are optional.
Crush or mix the ingredients to a smooth paste.
Add the oil and white wine vinegar to the paste and stir well until combined.
Let the sauce sit in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes to let the flavours mingle together.
What can you serve with Mojo sauce?
The thing is that this sauce is pretty much suitable for all kinds of dishes. It might sound strange but this sauce is made to enhance the flavours of the dishes, not to mask or overwhelm the dish itself.
That's why it's so good with a lot of different types of dishes. Some common dishes to serve with this sauce are:
Chicken skewers
Grilled vegetables and mushrooms
Smoked cheeses
Seafood plater, shrimp, crab and lobster
Grilled or baked white fish and oily fish
Pork skewers, fried or grilled pork
Moj Rojo as a dressing for a fresh salad
Papas arrugadas also called salt potatoes or wrinkled potatoes
Make a Canary Island evening at home
Try Mojo on a vacation at the Canary Islands or make it at home and invite friends and family over for a Canary gastronomic evening. Make a Mojo sauce and barbeque some meats, fish and vegetables, a salad and Papas arrugadas, wrinkled potatoes. Serve with a glass of red or white wine and enjoy your evening.
