Mojo is the big star of Canary Islands cuisine and the typical Canarian food dish that visitors always talk about. In this post, we are going to explain how to prepare this mojo sauce recipe. Don't worry, we will do it step by step to make sure the result is delicious!
Ingredients to prepare mojo sauce
Do you want to know how to make Canarian mojo sauce? It is quite easy. Mojo sauce is made with a base of olive oil, vinegar, sea salt, and garlic. Then we have two kinds of mojo:
→ On the one hand, we find red mojo, which is flavored and colored with pimentón (paprika), red pepper, chili, and cumin.
→ On the other hand, green mojo uses coriander or parsley and green peppers.
Red mojo is traditionally served with Canarian “wrinkled” potatoes boiled in salty water until their skin goes wrinkly, while green mojo is traditionally served with fish or squids.
But you can actually have it with whatever suits you better!
Mojo is packed with flavor, but it isn't very spicy unless you get mojo picón; a version of red mojo made with local chilies known as 'pimienta de la puta madre'.
These are the ingredients you need to prepare a delicious mojo sauce (to fill a small jar):
- 1/2 Glass of Oil (preferably olive oil)
- 1/3 Glass of Water
- 1/2 of a medium size red pepper
- 1 large tomato
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of coriander
- 1 small cayenne pepper
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Oregano (optional)
- Breadcrumbs (optional)
How to prepare mojo sauce step by step
Once we have all the ingredients we need, we just have to follow these simple directions:
- You will need a wooden mortar to obtain a home-made taste.
- Peel the cloves of garlic and cut them into very small pieces or just crush them directly.
- Place the garlic and the coriander in the mortar and crush them. Add a bit of vinegar and olive oil and crush the mixture until it almost becomes a paste.
- Peel the tomato.
- Cut the red pepper into small pieces.
- Transfer the paste from the mortar to a mixer and add all the other ingredients: the olive oil, the peeled tomato, the pieces of pepper, the water, the vinegar, a pinch of salt and the cayenne pepper (or half of it if you prefer a milder sauce – feel free to adjust it depending on your palate).
- Mix all the ingredients to obtain a thick sauce.
- In case the sauce is not thick enough, a good tip is to add a few natural breadcrumbs or a piece of “old bread” and mix the sauce again. Bear in mind that Mojo is a fairly thick sauce.
- Add the oregano (optional).
- Put the sauce in an empty jar with a top.
- You can keep the Mojo in your fridge for months.
Typical Canarian recipes accompanied by mojo sauce
If you have already been in Canarias, you probably have seen how they use mojo sauce in basically everything they cook in restaurants — from seafood and fish to any kind of meat. Sometimes, restaurants serve it just like an appetizer accompanied by bread.
But the Canarian’s star specialty is clearly Canarian wrinkled potatoes (papas arrugadas). These salted small potatoes are served typically in all of the 7 islands. They are great on their own, but they are so much better served with mojo sauce.
However, there is another Canarian recipe you should try, and it is crispy baked mojo chicken wings. Chicken wings marinated in mojo sauce and spices and then baked to crispy perfection! They are simply amazing.
In conclusion, if you want to relish the delicious flavor of mojo sauce, now you know that you can add it to almost everything.
If you are planning to visit Gran Canaria, you cannot miss the opportunity to taste the Canarian cuisine.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Mojo sauce recipe. For more information do not hesitate to contact us through our website. We'll be delighted to help you at any moment. Come to Gran Canaria, our villas are waiting for you.
