Ingredients
Potatoes:
1/2 Kg of small potatoes
100 gr of sea salt (rock salt)
Mojo Picante (Red):
1 garlic clove
2 pimientas canarias or cayenne peppers (soaked if they are dry and seeds removed)
1/3 of a medium red pepper
1/2 tsp rock salt
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp water
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soaked bread (for consistency)
Mojo Cilantro (Green):
1 garlic clove
3 sprigs of coriander
2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp Rock salt
2 tbsp water
6 tbsp olive oil
Preparation
Potatoes: Wash the potatoes throughly and leave the skin on. Then put them in a saucepan with water that just covers the potatoes and the sea salt – lots of slat is needed to help the potato skins to get wrinkled in the final stage of cooking. Boil them until they are tender – 15 mins approx. (check a fork passes easily through them). Then get rid of the water, put the saucepan back on the hob at very low heat and shake it every now and again till they dry and the skin becomes wrinkled.
Mojo Picon: Peel the garlic clove and puree it with a hand mixer together with the cayenne peppers, the red pepper, salt, vinegar, cumin seeds (grind them in the pestle and mortar beforehand to release the aromas), and sweet paprika. Then add the water and mix and check the salt and garlic point in case you need to add some more. Finally add the olive oil and mix it with the machine at a lower speed. If you want to give it more consistency/thickness add a spoon of soaked bread and mix again.
Mojo Cilantro: Peel the garlic clove and puree it with a hand mixer together with the coriander sprigs, the salt, vinegar and water. Finally add the olive oil and mix it at a lower speed.
Note that the mojos can be served with meat and fish and therefore can be prepared in larger quantities and kept in jars in the fridge for a couple of weeks or so if the oil covers the rest of the mix.
Marina’s Tenerife photos can be seen here.
Notes from Spain by Ben Curtis 