There are few dishes in Puerto Rico that are as treasured as mofongo. It’s as classic as a refreshing piña colada, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a restaurant on the island that doesn’t offer it. Mofongo is made from mashed plantains, crunchy pork rinds, and flavorful garlic and is usually served right out of the pilon (mortar) with some sort of protein. In this recipe we’re preparing our mofongo with chicken in creole sauce! If you’re not a big fan of spicy foods, don’t fret – creole, or criollo, in this recipe doesn’t mean spicy, it just means it’s native to Puerto Rico.
This recipe comes from Flavors Chef Francis Sosa, when he lead our Chef for a Day Cooking Classes.
Mofongo
Serving: 2-4 people
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 firm green plantains
- Thyme
- 1/2 lb of pork rinds
- 1/2 cup of chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- pilon and mortar
- vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
- Peel plantains and cut into several 1 inch wheels
- Place plantains in water, with 1/2 cup chicken stock and pinch of salt for 5 minutes
- Create a paste with the garlic cloves and a teaspoon of salt by mashing them together in the pilon
- Strain partially boiled plantains and place in deep fryer until golden brown (for about 5 minutes)
- Place plantains in the pilon and begin mashing them together with garlic and salt until you can no longer see the individually cut plantains (but not too mashed like mashed potatoes; never use a food processor), adding a little bit of the garlic mixture at a time
- You will have to work a few slices at a time in order to get everything mashed. The mofongo is complete once everything is mixed up and there is even distribution of seasoning.
- Once your done push all the sides down at an equal level, leaving room for the chicken to sit in the mofongo
Chicken in Criollo Sauce
Serving: 2-4 people
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts (no skin, no bone)
- 1 onion
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 8 oz. of tomato sauce
- 4. oz of tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 pinch of oregano
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- pinch of cilantro
Directions:
- In a large pan sear the chicken breasts until they are done (you know it’s done when you cut into the chicken and the meat is white)
- Take chicken out of pan and let it rest on a plate
- In a large saucepan heat a small amount of the vegetable oil, throw in the veggies and sweat them for a few minutes
- Add the cooked veggies, tomato sauce and tomato paste, spices and the chicken and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Once both dishes are made, place the chicken into the mofongo and enjoy!
