Traditional Puerto Rican Dishes
Puerto Rican Mofongo
Prepare an authentic Puerto Rican mofongo with fried green plantains, garlic, crispy cracklings, and chicken broth. A homemade recipe, abundant and full of Caribbean flavor, with the rustic and compact texture that distinguishes this classic from Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rican mofongo combines fried green plantains, garlic, and cracklings in a rustic, compact, and comforting mash. Serve it hot as a main dish or side, alone or accompanied with broth, meat, chicken, or seafood.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓4 large green plantains
- ✓2 cups of pork cracklings in small pieces
- ✓6 cloves of garlic
- ✓4 tablespoons of olive oil
- ✓1 ½ teaspoons of salt
- ✓1 cup of hot chicken broth
- ✓Enough vegetable oil to fry
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Peel the plantains
Peel the plantains: cut the ends, make a slit along the skin, and remove it in strips. Cut each plantain into thick slices, about three centimeters.
- 02
Heat abundant vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium heat
Heat abundant vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. The oil should cover about half of the slices. Check that it's ready by introducing a small piece of plantain; it should bubble immediately without burning.
- 03
Fry the slices in batches, without overfilling the skillet, for…
Fry the slices in batches, without overfilling the skillet, for about five or six minutes per side. Remove them when they're pale yellow, tender when pierced, and slightly golden. They shouldn't be crispy like chips.
- 04
Drain the plantains on a rack or paper towels
Drain the plantains on a rack or paper towels.
- 05
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet. Add the six cloves of garlic lightly crushed and cook over low heat for two or three minutes, until they release their aroma and take on a light golden tone. Remove from heat and conserve the perfumed oil.
- 06
Place some of the still-warm plantains in a mortar, large bowl, or resistant container
Place some of the still-warm plantains in a mortar, large bowl, or resistant container. Add some of the garlic, a bit of the perfumed oil, a pinch of salt, and some pieces of cracklings.
- 07
Mash with firm movements and turning the mortar to mix
Mash with firm movements and turning the mortar to mix. Maintain an irregular texture, with small fragments of plantain and cracklings; don't convert it into a completely smooth puree.
- 08
Continue incorporating the plantains, garlic, oil, salt, and cracklings in two or three batches to work the mixture uniformly
Continue incorporating the plantains, garlic, oil, salt, and cracklings in two or three batches to work the mixture uniformly.
- 09
As you mash, gradually add a few tablespoons of the hot chicken broth...
As you mash, gradually add a few tablespoons of the hot chicken broth. Don't add the full cup at once. The mixture should be moist, compact, and moldable.
- 10
Taste the seasoning and adjust only with the reserved salt, considering that the cracklings already add flavor
Taste the seasoning and adjust only with the reserved salt, considering that the cracklings already add flavor.
- 11
Divide the mofongo into four portions
Divide the mofongo into four portions. Shape each one inside a small mortar or bowl, pressing it with a spoon to compact it. You can also form rustic balls with your lightly moistened hands.
- 12
Invert each portion onto a plate without pressing it too much, to conserve a tender and airy interior
Invert each portion onto a plate without pressing it too much, to conserve a tender and airy interior.
- 13
Serve immediately with the remaining hot chicken broth, in a separate container or poured around the mofongo
Serve immediately with the remaining hot chicken broth, in a separate container or poured around the mofongo. You can decorate with some visible pieces of cracklings.
- Use truly green plantains to get a firm mofongo that's not too sweet.
- Fry the plantain until it's tender, but not too crispy or toasted.
- Add the broth gradually to control the texture and avoid a watery mofongo.
- The mortar, bowl, or masher help maintain the rustic texture. Avoid the food processor, which can turn the plantain into an elastic paste.
- Keep the garlic light golden to avoid a bitter flavor.
- Serve the mofongo freshly made. If you prepare it in advance, keep it covered and heat it with a few tablespoons of broth before serving.
- You can accompany it with meat, chicken, seafood, or more broth. A sauce or broth provides a pleasant contrast to the texture of the mofongo.
- For a meatless version, substitute the cracklings with crispy pieces of additional plantain, although the result will be less traditional.