This garlicky sauce is the traditional accompaniment to the starchy root vegetables of the Hispanic Caribbean, especially Cuba. The acidic medium is usually Seville, or bitter, orange juice, though lime juice or white vinegar can be substituted. The mojo is at its best spooned or brushed over piping-hot boiled yuca, plantains, or other starchy tropical vegetables.
Cooks' Note
Storing: The sauce will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 1 1/4 cups
Ingredients
12 garlic cloves
1 medium yellow onion (about 8 ounces) cut into 1/4-inch thick rings
Juice of 1 medium bitter orange (about 1/4 cup), lime juice, or distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
Pound or mash the garlic to a paste. Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion rings and sauté until they are tender and light golden. Add the garlic paste and sauté briefly, then stir in all the other ingredients and serve at once.
Reprinted with permission from Gran Cocina Latina: The Food of Latin America by Maricel Presilla, © 2012 Norton. Buy the full book from Amazon or AbeBooks.
