Mofongo pr: Puerto Rican Mofongo Recipe – Tablespoon.com

Traditional Puerto Rican Plantain Mofongo Recipe

By

Hector Rodriguez

Hector Rodriguez

A Puerto Rico native and former food service professional, Hector Rodriguez develops recipes inspired by the Caribbean and Latin America.

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Updated on 12/29/22

Tested by

Diana Rattray

Tested by
Diana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

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The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Plantain mofongo is thought to originate in Puerto Rico, and is a dish made from fried green (unripe) plantains mashed together with garlic and crackling pork rinds, also known as chicharrón. To make mofongo, the plantains are sliced and fried until tender, and then mashed with garlic paste and pork cracklings. The mixture can either be formed into balls or a half-dome shape. Mofongo is traditionally mashed in a mortar and pestle, but you can use a potato masher if you don’t have one.

This plantain recipe most likely stems from African cuisine—enslaved people brought a dish called foo foo or fufu to the Caribbean, which is made in the same manner from various mashed starchy vegetables, such as yams, cassava, and plantains. There are also similar mashed plantain dishes from the other Spanish-speaking islands; Cuba has fufu de plátano and The Dominican Republic has mangú.

Mofongo is a side dish as well as the main course, especially when it is stuffed with meat or seafood. It can be accompanied by a protein, such as chicken or shrimp, and beans and rice, but is also often presented in a bowl with a broth poured over the top. The Puerto Rican dish is also served directly out of the mortar.

Click Play to See This Traditional Mofongo Recipe Come Together

“The mofongo was very good. It was a quick and easy preparation and the plantain slices were perfectly fried in about 4 minutes. I used a deep fryer to fry mine, and it was practically effortless.” —Diana Rattray

• Vegetable oil, for frying

• 3 medium green, unripe plantains

• 1 tablespoon garlic paste

• 6 ounces pork rinds or cracklings, crushed

• Kosher salt, to taste

1. Gather the ingredients.

   The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

2. Heat about 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or deep fryer to 350 F.

   The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

3. While the oil is heating up, peel the plantains and cut into 1-inch rounds.

   The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

4. Fry the plantains until golden and tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

   The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

5. Remove cooked plantains from the pan or fryer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

   The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

6. Put the garlic paste in a large bowl or mortar and add the fried plantains, in batches, if necessary. Mash thoroughly.

   The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

7. Add the pork rinds. Continue to mash and mix until all of the ingredients are combined. Add salt to taste.

   The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

8. Shape the mofongo into 4 balls and serve.

   The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

9. 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.

   The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

10. With the back of a spoon, smooth over and level off the mix.

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

11. Then use the spoon to scrape around the bowl and remove the mash in a half-dome shape.

    The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Tips

• Serve mofongo warm as a main dish with a spicy sofrito or broth, or serve it as a side along with meat or seafood.
• If your mashed mofongo is too dry to hold together, add a small amount of olive oil, broth, or water, as needed.
• Fry the mofongo just until it is golden yellow in color, not browned.

Recipe Variations

• Add color and flavor to your mofongo with a garnish of lime wedges and chopped cilantro.
• Add extra flavor to the mofongo mixture with a few tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro and a dash of smoked paprika. 

How to Store Mofongo

• Mofongo is best eaten right away because it can becomes quite dry and crumbly as it sits, and the pork rinds will lose their crispiness. Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• To reheat leftover mofongo, heat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding water or broth as needed for moisture.

The Julia Child of Puerto Rican Cuisine Deserves More Recognition

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Traditional Puerto Rican Mofongo (25 Minutes!)

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Mofongo is a popular Puerto Rican dish made with fried green plantains mashed with chicharrones (crispy pork skin) and garlic. It’s traditionally served with a red shrimp sauce (camarones guisados) or chicken broth, and makes a super delicious side dish.

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If you love delicious Puerto Rican recipes, you probably love Mofongo. Similar to other classic side dishes like maduros or tostones, it’s nearly impossible to visit a Puerto Rican restaurant or household without trying this plantain based dish.

Due to the neutral flavor of plantains and subtle seasoning of salt (from the pork rinds) and garlic, mofongo is another classic Puerto Rican side dish recipe to pair with just about anything savory and/or saucy.

Ingredients

The grocery list to make this mofongo recipe is surprisingly simple. Here’s what you’ll need:

• vegetable oil for frying the plantains
• green plantains
• garlic cloves
• chicharrón (crispy pork skin) 

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Start by heating your oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium heat. While your oil is heating, prep the plantains by peeling them and slicing into 1 inch thick slices.

Once the oil is hot, gently add in the plantain slices and fry until golden brown and cooked through, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cooking them through should take about 10 minutes, continuing to move them around in the oil occasionally so they cook evenly.

Once fully cooked, remove them from the oil and dry on a paper towel lined plate.

In a large bowl or your mortar and pestle, add the garlic and chicharrones and mash (using the back of a wooden spoon if you don’t have a mortar and pestle). Add the fried plantain slices and mash them in with the garlic and pork rinds.

Tip: if things feel too dry at this point, you can add a few tablespoons of warm water, mayonnaise, or butter (softened to room temperature) and continue to mash.

To serve your Puerto Rican Mofongo, fill a small bowl with the mashed plantains and flip onto a plate, to get that perfect dome-like shape. Top with a blend of cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil and serve with chicken broth or camarones guisados (shrimp in red sauce).

Substitutions

Although Mofongo Puerto Rico is made primarily from plantains, the use of chicharrones means it is not vegetarian, plant based or vegan.

If you or someone you’re feeding needs a substitute to make this dish accessible, I recommend using your favorite puffed and crunchy snack food. This isn’t traditional by any means, but it should do the trick in the texture and flavor department!

Here are some of my favorite (yet totally unorthodox) substitutions for chicharrones:

• crunchy puffed onion chips
• these impressively plant based pork rinds
• this fun vegan recipe for rice paper ‘pork’ rinds

If none of the above ideas sound realistic to you, just omit the chicharrones and add a pinch of salt or two. Yes, it will compromise the texture slightly, but the flavor from the fried plantains and garlic will satisfy the mofongo craving!

Variations

There are a few ways you can have fun and adapt this mofongo recipe. Here are some ideas:

• Spicy – these days, there are so many differernt flavors of pork rinds at the store! trying out different flavors of chicharrones results in a variety of different flavors of mofongo. I like using anything chili, garlic or lime flavored.
• Deluxe – take your mofongo to a new level with all of your favorite toppings. I’m thinking guacamole, chimmichurri, or even a heap of leftover pernil if you’ve got it!
• Kid friendly – honestly, this dish is usually a kid favorite without any modifications. It doesn’t need any adapting to be ‘kid-friendly’, but adding your kiddos favorite toppings will certainly help get them excited about it!

If you’re on the hunt for chicharrones, here’s my favorite brand to use.

Equipment

When frying plantains, make sure to use a heavy bottomed, good quality frying pan. I like to use my AllClad pans or anything made with cast iron.

When it comes to mashing up the plantains for this mofongo recipe, I’m a sucker for an extra large mortar and pestle. That said, it can totally be done without one, just use a large bowl and the back of a wooden spoon.

Toppings

Some of my favorite toppings:

• cilantro
• a squeeze of lime juice 
• warm chicken broth
• picadillo
• camarones guisados

When I don’t have time to make a fancy topping, I like topping mine with a simple cilantro sauce (pictured above).

Just blend together a small handful of cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice or splash of vinegar, garlic, and olive oil.

More Plantain Recipes

If you love plantains as much as me, I have a list of 5+ of my favorite recipes using them that is a great place to find inspiration for any leftovers you have hanging around!

Storage

Mofongo can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. That said, because of the crispy texture from the pork rinds, it’s best to enjoy it fresh.

Happy cooking!

Print

Ingredients

Scale

• 3 cups vegetable oil
• 3 green plantains
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1 cup chicharrón (crispy pork skin) 

Optional toppings: 

• cilantro
• lime juice or vinegar
• olive oil
• chicken broth
• camarones guisados

Instructions

1. Prep the plantains. Start by heating your oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium heat. While the oil is heating, prep the plantains by peeling and slicing them into 1 inch slices.
2. Fry the plantains. Once the oil is hot, gently add in the plantain slices and fry until golden brown and cooked through (about 10 minutes), making sure to move them around in the oil occasionally so they cook evenly. Once they are cooked, remove from the oil and dry on a paper towel lined plate.
3. Mash the mofongo. In a large bowl or mortar and pestle add the garlic cloves and chicharrón and mash (using the back of a wooden spoon if you don’t have a mortar and pestle). Add in the fried plantain slices and mash those in with the garlic and pork rinds.
4. Serve. To serve, fill a small bowl with your mofongo and flip onto a plate, to get that perfect dome-like shape. Top with a blend of cilantro, vinegar, and olive oil and serve with chicken broth or camarones guisados (shrimp in red sauce).

Notes

• Tip: if things feel too dry after mashing, you can add a few tablespoons of warm water, mayonnaise, or butter (softened to room temperature) and continue to mash.
• For an easy sauce combine 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup cilantro and 2 tsp lime juice or vinegar, blend with an immersion blender and enjoy. 

Keywords: Mofongo, Puerto Rican Mofongo

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John Joseph Adams “The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination”

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John Joseph Adams

Anthology, 2013

Abstract:

From Victor Frankenstein to Lex Luthor, from Dr. Moreau to Doctor Doom, readers have always been intrigued by the crazy plans to take over the world and the people behind them. Usually we watch these villains from the eyes of heroes. But in this anthology, we have the opportunity to look at the world of mad scientists and evil geniuses – from their own perspective.

A stellar cast of writers such as Diana Gabaldon, Daniel Wilson, Austin Grossman, Naomi Novick, and Shannon McGuire… twenty-two brilliant storytellers have crafted a fine selection of stories that are guaranteed to entertain readers.

Everyone loves villains. They are bad; they are always throwing oil on the fire; they’re a lot more fun than the good guys, even though we want the good guys to win. Their cunning plans, manic laughter, and boundless ambition are known to all, but what lies behind those wild eyes and sinister grins? How and why do they do their terrible deeds? And why do they want to take over the world so much?

If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, you’re in luck: it’s time to learn the story from the perspective of madmen.

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The work includes:

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Professor Incognito Apologizes: An Itemized List (2013) // Author: Austin Grossman		5. 33(3)
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The Angel of Death Has a Business Plan (2013) // Author: Heather Lindsley		6. 00 (1)
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The Space Between (2012) // Author: Diana Gabaldon		8. 00 (3)
Harry and Marlowe Meet the Founder of the Aetherian Revolution (2013) // Author: Carrie Vaughn		6.00 (1)
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The Last Dignity of Man (2013) // Author: Marjorie Lew		6.00 (1)
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Cooking Dominican MOFONGO)) – Guide to the Dominican Republic — LiveJournal

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Mofongo, a very popular dish in the Dominican Republic, is easy to prepare. Like many recipes, mofongo has variations. So – for you the very essence of it.

Mofongo requires very few PRODUCTS. Several green bananas. (In Spanish they are called “platanos”. These are special varieties of strong bananas intended for frying, boiling and other heat treatment). Pork rinds (in Dominican, “chicharOnas”). Vegetable oil, salt and garlic.

COOKING. Saute chopped garlic in a little oil. We clean the bananas, and cut into circles about 2 cm thick – fry them on both sides until golden brown. Grind bananas-platanos in a blender. Mix the resulting puree with garlic and pork rinds. Voila!)) Mofongo is ready.

Decorate with parsley. And we serve it to the table along with hot broth, which should be poured over the mofongo – as it is eaten. Bon appetit!))

(Variations on the mofongo theme. Mofongo whipped with broth – like soup. Platanos mofongo with onions, cheese and shrimps. And mofongo with cracklings, broth and pork)

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