Let's face it: It's easy to fall into a dinnertime rut. Fortunately,
diving into international cuisines is a great way to add variety to weekday meals, and why not start
with Mofongo? This delicious dish from Puerto Rico can be a main or a side… but what is it?
If you've ever watched any of the "Saturday Night Live" Weekend Update interviews with
David Ortiz — in which Keenan Thompson, playing Ortiz, steers every interview question back to
a description of his latest "big lunch" — you've almost certainly heard of mofongo.
"Do you know what you can make with 100,000 chickens, Jost? You can make mofongo."
It's a great detail in a funny sketch series. But what is it, actually?
It turns out that mofongo is a deep-fried, plantain-based dish originally from Puerto Rico.
It has come into the national spotlight recently, thanks in part to the success of Mofongo NY,
a restaurant concept created by Manolo López, a Puerto Rican chef.
Mofongo NY took off in 2014 with a headline-grabbing opening.
In the years since, López's restaurant concept — now called
Mofon•GO — has gone from strength to strength, and mofongo is very much here to stay.
That said, let's talk about what it is. Mofongo is a savory,
plantain-based dish belonging to the Puerto Rican culinary tradition.
The main ingredients and the techniques involved in its preparation are rooted in
multiple cultures, including those of regions of Africa, Indigenous Puerto Rico, and Spain.
A key attribute of mofongo is its versatility. Commonly served as a side,
mofongo can easily be supplemented with meat to become a main dish.
Mofongo's main ingredient is plantain fruit, an ingredient that, most likely, originally
came from Southeast Asia. It's a kind of banana commonly grown and consumed in tropical areas.
Plantains are commonly prepared and consumed while they are still green,
and like a milder version of a banana, and become mildly sweet when they ripen.
The key to making great mofongo is speed: to nail this dish's taste and texture,
you will need to work very quickly. A standard batch of mofongo only takes about thirty minutes
to prepare — but in that time you'll be completing almost a dozen unique steps.
The broad strokes of the recipe are as follows: essentially you will be
chopping up three plantains into coin-shaped rounds, deep-frying them, straining them,
mashing them into a paste, and then working that paste into four spherical servings of mofongo.
As with many dishes, the key to success is in the ingredients.
If this is your first time making mofongo, you may be tempted to use yellow plantains,
which resemble dessert bananas. Resist the temptation! Mofongo is a savory dish,
and using yellow plantains will give you a sweet flavor –– they will also
react differently in the pan when it comes to frying. Reach for the green ones instead.
While the exact flavor of mofongo will vary depending on what meats
and vegetables are mixed into it, mofongo is first and foremost a
starch-based fried food — so you can bet on it being rich, savory, and delicious.
As noted, mofongo is a highly versatile dish, and can be prepared with and served alongside
a variety of meats and vegetables. Mofongo pairs well with both chicken and fish broth,
can be stuffed with everything from octopus salad to garlic shrimp,
and is often served with pork cracklings.
As a deep-fried, starch-based dish, a little bit of mofongo goes a long
way. A single serving of mofongo can contain a whopping amount of fat:
as much as about 86% of your daily value. The plantain dish is also rich in carbs,
clocking in at almost 60 grams of carbohydrates per serving — or about 20% of your daily value.
In terms of vitamins and minerals, mofongo has plenty to offer, with a single serving
packing in 40% and 57% of your daily values of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, respectively.
Mofongo's main ingredient is plantains, which can be found in the produce departments of
most supermarkets. You can get fresh plantains at retailers like Whole Foods and Stop & Shop — even
Walmart has them. Just make sure you're buying green or brown plantains, not yellow ones!
Other key ingredients, including adobo seasoning,
are also available at Whole Foods. That should put a smile on your face!
"What's that an ad for?"
"For not to be sad! Why you be sad? Don't!"
The only other mofongo necessity that you might have trouble tracking down is the wooden mortar
and pestle used for mashing and grinding the plantains. It's an important part of authenticity,
and fortunately, a version of this kitchen utensil is available for purchase on Amazon.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus,
even more Mashed videos about all your favorite international dishes are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.