Mofongo! An amazingly versatile dish. It can go with any pairing. This is my personal favorite dish because it truly represents my Puerto Rican culture. Any time I go back, this is the first dish I seek. It represents our resilient and resourceful culture.
Why it’s my favorite? In Puerto Rico, plantains are very common and very versatile. You can boil them, steam them, fry them, bake them, etc. Mofongo is a green plantain cut into chunks, fried, then smashed with lots of garlic and butter. Don’t forget the chicharron! It goes great on its own or with some creole shrimp or fried pork. Even chicken or beef works with this dish if that’s what you like. And that’s why I would say Mofongo is my favorite dish. I love versatile dishes that can be customized to anyone’s preference.
– Chef Nicole Ortiz, Sous Chef at Georgia Tech
*Note: Recipe quantities are based on your preference of how firm you would like this item.
Mofongo
Ingredients
- green plantains
- garlic cloves
- butter
- chicharron
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim and peel plantains. Then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Fry plantain chunks until golden. Then with a wooden pestle and mortar, aka pilòn, smash the garlic, butter and chicharron.
- Add the plantains. Smash until a fine smash. Add small amounts of the used frying oil to get the plantains to mash together. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Once it’s all mashed together, form into balls or shape of your choosing and serve with creole shrimp, fried pork, or any protein you’d like.
- Enjoy!
by Dina Biondo in Recipes 
