Mojo is the name for garlicky oil-and-vinegar sauces from the Canary Islands, red with chilli and paprika or green with coriander, and for Cuba's sour-orange, garlic and cumin marinade.
What it is¶
In the Canary Islands, mojo is a family of emulsified sauces pounded from garlic, cumin, salt, olive oil and vinegar. Mojo rojo or mojo picón adds dried red chillies and paprika; mojo verde adds green pepper and coriander or parsley. Both are served with papas arrugadas, small potatoes boiled in heavily salted water until their skins wrinkle.
Across the Atlantic, Cuban mojo (or mojo criollo) is thinner: sour orange juice, lots of garlic, cumin, oregano and oil, used as a marinade for roast pork and as a sauce for boiled yuca. The name is often linked to Portuguese molho, "sauce", though this is not certain.
Origins¶
The Canary Islands were the last Spanish port of call for ships heading to the Americas, and their cooking absorbed both Iberian and New World ingredients: potatoes and chillies arrived early and became staples. The local chilli pimienta palmera (from La Palma) and the Canarian taste for cumin — unusual in modern Spanish cooking — give mojo its character. Canarian emigration to Cuba, Venezuela and Puerto Rico was heavy from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, and it is generally thought that mojo travelled with it and met the Seville (sour) orange already growing in the Caribbean.
In Cuba and among Cuban-Americans in Florida, mojo is inseparable from lechón asado, whole roast pork, and the Cuban sandwich.
What goes in it¶
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Garlic | The foundation of every mojo |
| Cumin | Warm, earthy; the Canarian and Cuban signature |
| Dried red chillies and paprika | Heat and colour in mojo rojo |
| Green pepper and coriander | Freshness and colour in mojo verde |
| Wine vinegar | Acid in Canarian mojos |
| Sour (Seville) orange juice | Acid in Cuban mojo |
| Oregano | Herbal note in Cuban mojo |
| Olive oil, salt | Emulsion and seasoning |
Flavour¶
Canarian mojo rojo is garlicky, sharp and smoky-hot, thick enough to coat a potato; mojo verde is fresher, herbal and milder. Cuban mojo is sour, bitter-orange fragrant and intensely garlicky, closer to a marinade than a sauce, and meant to soak in.
How to use it¶
- Papas arrugadas: wrinkled salt-crusted potatoes, dipped in both red and green mojo.
- Fish: mojo verde with grilled or fried fish, a Canarian standard.
- Meat: mojo rojo with pork, rabbit (conejo en salmorejo is related) and grilled meats.
- Cuban roast pork: marinate pork shoulder overnight in mojo criollo, then slow-roast.
- Yuca con mojo: boiled cassava dressed with warm mojo in which the garlic has been briefly cooked.
Making it at home¶
About 200 ml mojo picón (serves 6 with potatoes) · 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes soaking
You need
- 2–3 dried hot red chillies (or ½ tsp chilli flakes)
- 1 dried mild red pepper such as ñora, or 1 extra tsp paprika
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
- 1 slice stale bread, crust removed (optional, for body)
- 3 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
- 120 ml olive oil
Method
- Stem and deseed the dried peppers and soak them in hot water for 20 minutes; drain.
- Pound the garlic, cumin and salt in a mortar to a paste.
- Add the soaked peppers, paprika and bread (if using) and pound until smooth.
- Work in the vinegar, then the oil in a slow trickle, stirring constantly so it emulsifies into a thick sauce. A blender does the same job quickly.
- Adjust with water if too thick, and more vinegar or salt to taste.
Variations¶
- Mojo verde: replace the red peppers and paprika with 1 green pepper and a bunch of coriander (or parsley for fish, in some islands).
- Mojo de cilantro / mojo de perejil: named for the dominant herb.
- Mojo criollo (Cuba): 8–10 garlic cloves mashed with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp dried oregano, mixed with 180 ml sour orange juice (or two parts orange to one part lime) and 60 ml oil. For a sauce, warm the oil and pour it over the garlic just before adding the juice.
- Mojo de queso and mojo de almendras: Canarian versions thickened with cheese or almonds.
- Puerto Rican and Dominican mojo: similar to Cuban, sometimes with lime.
Buying and storing¶
Canarian mojos keep about a week in a sealed jar in the fridge; the emulsion may separate and can be re-blended. Cuban mojo, used as a marinade, is best made fresh. As with any raw garlic in oil, refrigerate it and do not leave it out for more than a few hours. Shop-bought Canarian mojo in jars keeps for months unopened.