Mofongo Recipe

Mofongo Recipe – Fried, mashed green plantains infused with garlic and chicharrones (fried pork skin) assembled and stuffed with a succulent tomato, garlic, onion, shrimp sauce that will make your mouth water. What's not to love?

Course Main

Cuisine Puerto Rican

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings -3

Calories 640kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

Shrimp Sauce Recipe

2-3 tablespoon canola or olive oil
½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Creole seasoning, to taste (optional)
¼ onion, sliced
½ teaspoon garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup tomato sauce (or 2 large tomatoes, chopped)
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ cup bell pepper, chopped
½ cup chicken broth, or more

Mofongo

2-3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 crumbled bacon
Salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 green plantains
Oil for deep-frying
¼ cup chicharrones, or more crumbled
2-3 tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley

Instructions

Shrimp Sauce

Lightly season shrimp with Creole seasoning. Heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a skillet.
Sauté the shrimp for about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet, followed by onions, garlic, cumin, tomatoes, and paprika. Stir for about a minute or until fragrant.
Add the bell pepper and chicken broth or water.
Bring it to a boil, then simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
Toss in shrimp; continue cooking for about 2-3 minutes more. Adjust for salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Set aside.

Mofongo

In a small saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of oil, followed by garlic, bacon, and salt. Sauté for about a minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn. Set aside.
Cut each plantain into about 4-5 thick slices.
Soak the slices in salted water for about 15-30 minutes, then remove and dry with a paper towel.
Pour vegetable oil into a large saucepan until it is at least 1-inch deep. Heat on medium heat until the oil reaches 375℉/190℃.
Gently place the plantains into the oil. Fry them in batches so that you don't overcrowd the pan.
Fry for 3-4 minutes until lightly brown on each side.
Use a large, slotted spoon or a similar utensil to remove the plantains from the oil. Then drain them on a paper towel.
Place about a ½ teaspoon or more of the garlic, oil, and bacon mixture into a mortar and give it a smash with a pestle.
Add the chicharrones and some salt if necessary. Then, one by one, start adding and smashing the fried plantains with the other ingredients. Once all the ingredients have just come together, and the mortar is nearly full, the mofongo is ready. Don't overdo it!
Run a knife or spatula between the mofongo and the mortar walls and place shrimp sauce in the middle.
Serve right out of the mortar or turn the mortar upside down on a serving plate and bang lightly - you will get a nice mofongo dome.
Repeat the same process with the remaining garlic, bacon, oil, and plantains.

Notes

You may leave out the chicharrones if you can't find one near you.
Use a potato masher if you don't have a mortar and pestle.
Add more chicken stock if you want your mashed plantains mixture slightly loose.
Please remember that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.

Nutrition