Mojo Rojo is a typical sauce from the Canary Islands, an autonomous state of Spain, located on the coast of Africa. Mojo Rojo is typically served with a plate of papas arrugadas, also called wrinkled potatoes or salt potatoes and all kinds of meat or fish dish. This recipe is for a typical hot Mojo Rojo sauce, goes well with most dishes and is easy to make at home.
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.
You need:
4 cloves of garlic
1 small dry red chilli pepper or 1 Pimienta picon Canaria
1 teaspoon cumin seeds 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 mortar and pestle or a mixer.
Chop the chilli pepper into smaller pieces and add, salt, cumin and sweet paprika powder to the mortar and pestle or the mixer. If you wish the Mojo to be milder in flavour, add the crushed tomatoes.
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.
Enjoy together with a plate of Papas Arrugadas and barbequed meat, fish or vegetables.
