Dominican Republic | Puerto Rico | Vegetables | Plantains

Mofongo

(Puerto Rican mashed plantains and pork cracklings)

Yield: 4-6


INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Green plantains peeled, cut into rounds on the diagonal 4
Olive oil 3 tablespoons
Garlic minced 3-5 cloves
Pork cracklings (chicharrones) crushed 1 cup
Salt to taste

METHOD

Basic Steps:  Saute → Mash → Mix
  1. Soak the plantain pieces in a bowl of salted water for about 15 minutes. Drain well.
  2. Heat the oil in a saute pan or skillet over medium flame. Working in batches, saute the plantain slices until they are cooked through but not yet browned, 10-15 minutes.
  3. Add the plantains, garlic and a little bit of olive oil to a large mortar or bowl and mash with a pestle or potato masher until fairly smooth. Alternatively, pulse with a food processor. Stir in the pork cracklings and salt to taste.
  4. Using moistened hands, form into 3-inch balls and serve warm.

VARIATIONS

  • Mofongo Rellono (Stuffed mofongo): Serve covered with a ladleful of stews like pollo guisado, asopao de gandules or quimbombo guisado.
  • For a lower fat version, boil the plantains in salted water instead of sauteing them.
  • Add a little chicken or beef broth while mashing the plantains to make them a little moister. Mofongo is often served with some broth poured over it.
  • Although most recipes call for soaking the plantains in salted water, some say this step is not really necessary.
  • If you can't find chicharrones in a market near you, substitute with finely chopped, crispy bacon.
  • Mangú (Dominican Republic): Eliminate the pork cracklings and garlic. Saute a thinly sliced onion in some oil and mash together with the plantains, a little hot broth, salt and pepper. Serve with scrambled eggs. Some cooks add 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar to the onions. The onions can also be served on top of the plantains as a garnish instead of mashed into the mangú.

NOTES

  • Mofongo is one of the most popular dishes in Puerto Rico. It has clear roots in the fufu of West Africa. A variation called mangú is often eaten for breakfast in the Dominican Republic.
  • The classic way to serve mofongo is in the mortar (pilón) in which it was mashed.