Moist Mofongo Recipes

MOFONGO

Steps:

• Heat canola oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mash the garlic with the olive oil in a mortar and pestle. Combine garlic mixture with the pork rinds in a large bowl; set aside.
• Fry the plantain chunks until golden and crispy, but not brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the fried plantains into the bowl with the garlic mixture. Toss to coat. Mash the coated plantains with the mortar and pestle until smooth. Season with salt. Roll the plantain mixture into two large balls or several small balls before serving.

TRADITIONAL PLANTAIN MOFONGO RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat about 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or deep fryer to 350 F.
• While the oil is heating up, peel the plantains and cut into 1-inch rounds.
• Fry the plantains until golden and tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Remove cooked plantains from the pan or fryer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Put the garlic paste in a large bowl or mortar and add the fried plantains, in batches, if necessary. Mash thoroughly.
• Add the pork rinds. Continue to mash and mix until all of the ingredients are combined. Add salt to taste.
• Shape the mofongo into 4 balls and serve.
• Alternatively, you can make the mofongo into a half-dome shape using a small condiment bowl as a mold; push a portion of mofongo down to the bottom of the bowl.
• With the back of a spoon, smooth over and level off the mix.
• Then use the spoon to scrape around the bowl and remove the mash in a half-dome shape.

MOFONGO RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Fry the plantains for 5-8 minutes, or golden brown on all sides. Transfer the plantains to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove excess grease.
• Using a large pilón (mortar and pestle) mash the plantains, garlic, and pork cracklins together, until the plantains are broken down. You might have to do this in small batches.
• Pack a serving into a small bowl and turn it over onto a plate for serving. Remove the bowl.
• Serve with extra pork cracklings (chicharrón) and garlic mojo on the side.
• Crush together garlic cloves and salt with a pilón (mortar and pestle), until you obtain a smooth paste. Transfer into a medium bowl.
• Stir in fresh bitter orange juice, olive oil, cumin, oregano, and chopped cilantro.
• Add more salt to taste, if desired.

MOIST MOFONGO

Steps:

• Boil water in a large saucepan; add plantains, 2 tablespoons salt, and a dash pepper. Cook until very soft, about 30 minutes. Drain.
• Fry bacon in a skillet until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; crumble.
• Crush pork rinds in a mortar; transfer to a bowl.
• Blend olive oil, onion, cilantro, garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon salt, and a dash pepper in a food processor until liquefied.
• Mash warm plantains in the mortar in batches; transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pork rinds, bacon, and olive oil mixture until well combined. Shape mofongo into balls.

MOFONGO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan or large, deep skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Fry the plantains in 2 batches until golden brown on each side, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• Working in batches, crush the pork cracklings, garlic and salt in a wooden mortar and pestle (a pilon) or in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the plantains and mash together to incorporate. Mash in the margarine.
• Using your hands, shape the plantain mixture into 6 balls. Serve warm or hot.

MOFONGO

Steps:

• Prepare the guiso, if using: Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until simmering. Add sofrito, reduce heat to medium-low and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until liquid is evaporated.
• Pour in tomato sauce, partially cover with a lid, and simmer over low for 7 to 10 minutes. Sauce will thicken and darken in color.
• While sauce simmers, prepare the mofongo: Pour vegetable oil into a medium saucepan until it reaches a 3-inch depth, then heat over medium-high.
• Meanwhile, crush garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a pilón or large mortar and pestle until a wet paste forms.
• In a separate, small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium until just simmering, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour this hot oil on top of the garlic, carefully stirring to incorporate. It'll sizzle, and the garlic may turn light green. Add lime juice to complete the mojo.
• Peel plantains by cutting off both ends, then make three lengthwise slices through the skin. Carefully pull up the peel and remove it, starting at one of the corners with the edge of your fingernail or the tip of your knife if tough, then cut the plantains into 1 1/2-inch rounds. (Be careful: Plantain skins will stain your hands and clothing.)
• Once the vegetable oil is simmering somewhere between 350 and 375 degrees - you can test by adding a small piece of plantain; it will sizzle when the oil is hot enough - add plantains in 2 or 3 batches, taking care not to crown the pot. Fry each batch for 6 to 9 minutes, stirring lightly a few times, until the plantains begin to brown. Be careful not to let them get too dark, or they'll be hard and dry. Use a slotted spoon or mesh strainer to transfer plantains to a towel-lined bowl.
• If you have a large enough pilón, add fried plantains and chicharrón, if using, until pilón is three-quarters full. Mash together, alternating pounding and grinding. Once mixture has condensed to about half its original size, add 1 heaping tablespoon of the prepared mojo (or to taste), and continue grinding and mashing until fully combined. The mixture will look like stuffing.
• If you don't have a pilón, combine plantains, chicharrón and mojo in a large wooden bowl. Using the bottom of a slender jar, such as an olive jar, mash together to incorporate, rotating the bowl after each mash. Pound, grind and mash until mofongo is blended.
• Form the mashed mixture into 4 individual mofongos, each roughly the size of a baseball, or press into the bottom of a small rice bowl, then turn each onto a plate or into a larger bowl.
• Serve immediately, garnished with extra chicharrón, lime wedges and cilantro, if you like. Spoon over guiso as desired.

MOFONGO STUFFING RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Trim both ends of the plantains. Cut a slit through the skin down the length of the plantains. Cut each plantain in half crosswise and place in a bowl of cold water. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes (this will make the plantains easier to peel).
• While the plantains soak, make the sofrito: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the onion, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño, cubanelle peppers, and garlic. Pulse 15-20 times, until the vegetables are completely broken down and the sofrito has the consistency of chunky salsa. Set aside.
• In a large, high-walled skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350˚F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set nearby.
• After soaking, peel the plantains and cut into 1-1 ½-inch ( 2 ½ cm) pieces. Blot dry with paper towels.
• Working in batches, fry the plantains in the hot oil for 7 minutes, until crisp and beginning to brown. Transfer the plantains to the prepared baking sheet to drain.
• Working in batches, add 1-2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and about ½ teaspoon of salt to a large mortar. Using the pestle, mash the garlic until it breaks down into a paste. Add about 7-8 fried plantain pieces, then use the pestle to mash the plantains and combine with the garlic paste. Add about 1½ tablespoons of bacon, along with some of the reserved bacon grease, and mash into the plantains. 7. Add about ½ cup (15 G) of the chicharrones and break up until evenly distributed throughout the mofongo. Transfer the mofongo to a large bowl and repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190°C).
• Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the longaniza sausage to the hot pan and cook until the fat has rendered and the sausage is browned, 8-10 minutes.
• Add the cooked sausage, along with the rendered fat, sofrito, torn bread, and chicken stock to the bowl with the mofongo. Stir well to combine, making sure all of the bread is moistened.
• Transfer the mofongo stuffing to a lightly greased 9x13-inch (22 x 33 cm) baking dish and cover with foil.
• Bake the stuffing for 30 minutes.
• Remove the stuffing from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C).
• Top the stuffing with the remaining chicharrones and bake, uncovered for another 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and beginning to crisp.
• Remove the stuffing from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

MOFONGO (PUERTO RICAN PLANTAIN BALLS)

Steps:

• Peel plantains and cut into one-inch slices.
• In a large saucepan or deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees. Add plantain slices in two batches and fry for 7 minutes, turning once, until light golden but not browned. Drain on paper towels.
• In a large mortar or big bowl, crush garlic cloves with pestle or the back of a spoon and sprinkle with salt. Add olive oil to the mixture and keep pounding until it's well incorporated. Transfer to a small bowl.
• In the same mortar or bowl, crush half of the fried plantain slices with half of the pork rinds, 1/2 slice of cooked bacon, and half the garlic aioli and pound or smash together. Add up to 1/2 cup chicken stock as needed, to make it moist.
• Spoon the mixture and shape into two-inch balls. Repeat with remaining ingredients and keep in warm oven until ready to serve. Top with more crushed chicharrón, or cilantro if you wish.

VEGAN MOFONGO EN CALDO AS MADE BY JEREMIE SERRANO RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the caldo de "pollo": In a large pot, melt the vegan butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic paste and sauté until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bouillon cube and bring to a boil. Once the bouillon cube has dissolved, reduce the heat to low, add the bay leaves, and season with salt and the pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the flavors marry.
• Meanwhile, make the mojo: Dice the onion and red and green bell pepper. Transfer to a medium container with a lid and add the garlic paste, cilantro, and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Make the mofongo: In a large, high-walled pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add the plantain pieces to the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Add a few pieces of fried plantain, some vegan butter, and garlic paste, to a mortar. Mash with the pestle until smooth, adding 1 tablespoon at a time of the caldo until the desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with adobo seasoning. Repeat with the remaining plantains.
• Use your hands or rubber spatula to shape the mofongo into roughly 1-cup mounds.
• Top the mofongo with the mojo and serve immediately with the hot caldo alongside.
• Enjoy!