How to Make Delicious Mofongo with Shrimp – A Step-by-Step Guide

Growing up in Panama, Puerto Rican food on a menu was not an uncommon occurrence. One item in particular that always stood out to me was mofongo. What is mofongo? Comfort food at its finest. Today I was in the mood for seafood so I’m presenting you with Shrimp Mofongo. Enjoy![feast_advanced_jump_to].

Shrimp monfongo is a beloved dish in Puerto Rico, second only to Arroz on Gandules, the national dish. Locals on the island love it. Walk into just about any small eatery and you can order a variety of different types of mofongo. It’s made with mashed plantains. They’re formed into a dome and deep fried before getting a pour over of hearty stew. Some recipe variations are hollowed out, making it a mofongo relleno. However, the taste remains about the same. The stew can be chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork.

Mofongo, while a humble dish, has a deep history with many backgrounds coming together. The dish originated when the Spanish began to colonize Puerto Rico in the 1500s. They brought enslaved West Africans with them on their ships. The newly arrived West Africans held their cooking traditions close. The one dish that stands out is fufu. Fufu is made from boiled, mashed root vegetables. Once cooked, the root veggies were pounded into a dough and served as a side in stews. Yuca was the most popular. In the case of Latin America, they went with what was most abundant: plantains.

The original Puerto Rican mofongo recipe was made in a pilon. It’s essentially a wooden mortar and pestle. Unlike its African mirror dish, fufu, it’s not boiled. The pilon is truly an ancient kitchen tool. It dates back to pre-Colombian times (1000 BC – 1400 AD). Archeologists have even found the humble pilon at excavation sites near Ponce and San Juan.

What are the key ingredients?

Mofongo is truly a blend of three cultures. How? First, using the pilon to mash up the plantains ties it to Puerto Rico and Latin America. The pounded and mashed starch element is deeply tied to West Africa. This part of the dish was inspired by fufu. (A recipe you should absolutely try!). Finally, mofongo got its Spanish flair from the sofrito sauce, commonly used as a stew for the protein.

So let’s break it down a bit further. Not all mofongos are created equal. Some versions of the dish will use yuca or sweet potato in place of plantain. Not to worry, it is still fried to crispy goodness. The next thing you might run into are chicharrones, yes, pork rinds. Some versions of mofongo use bits of crispy pork in the mashed plantain. If you’re vegetarian, make sure to double-check on this.

Also, my recipe for shrimp mofongo has a lot of garlic in it. I’ve eaten so much mofongo over the years that it would keep vampires away. My recipe is a suggestion because I like the garlic flavor to be balanced with the others. If you’re a garlic lover, by all means throw in a couple more cloves for that garlicy punch.

Plantains are very different from a banana. So look closely when you’re in the produce aisle. I wouldn’t recommend using a banana for your mofongo. If you can’t find plantain at your local bodega or supermarket, opt for sweet potato or yuca.

But I digress, plantains are in the banana family but are far removed. They are usually green with black spots and have a much thicker skin. Texture-wise, plantains are starchy and cannot be eaten raw. (You might get sick!). You’ll need to bake, boil, fry, or stew them until they’re soft (or crispy if you’re frying!). They likely originated in South East Asia but are often found in tropical cuisines.

Peeling plantains can be a bit tricky. They do not come apart as easily as a banana. To avoid going to the emergency room, I suggest that you cut off the ends and then carefully cut the green skin in half along its length on both sides. You should be able to peel it one side at a time. Still, move slowly. If you don’t get the whole peel, you’ll have to cut away fibers to get to the plantain.

How to make shrimp mofongo step by step

• Have all of your ingredients ready to go, with the amounts marked and the pieces cut up. This is called “mise en place” in French, which means “everything in its place.” It’s the only way to master a dish and make it right. Buy some prep bowls in different sizes and get ready to play!
• On medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, tomato, and adobo to the pan. Stir and allow to cook until the onion is translucent.
• Add the smoked paprika, white wine, and sofrito once the onions are very soft. Stir the ingredients together and let them cook for three minutes.
• After you add the shrimp, cook for two minutes on one side and then flip them over. Cook the other side for two more minutes until it’s done. This time could be a little different depending on how big your shrimp are. They are done once they are just firm. Take it off the heat, cover it, and put it somewhere warm to stay.
• Cut the ends off of the plantains.
• Cut just below the skin’s thickness with a small knife with a thin blade.
• Peel the skin off carefully by pulling on it with your thumbnail.
• Cut the plantain into pieces that are about an inch thick.
• Warm up the oil in a pan to 325°F. Fry one side for two minutes, then flip and do it again. If you poke it with a fork, the middle should feel soft.
• Put two garlic cloves on a big mortar, or use a pilón if you have one, and smash them.
• Break up the garlic with the mortar or pilón until it’s completely mixed in. Then add the plantain slices and mash them too. Note: Add a little water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if you want the mashed plantains lighter.
• Add the pork rinds or chicharrones after the plantains are all mashed up.
• Split the mashed mixture in half and press each half into a small bowl to make two half-spheres, as shown.
• You can put the mofongo that you’ve made on a cutting board and serve it with the shrimp and sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Can I keep the shrimp and sauce in the fridge for three to four days after they have cooled down? Yes, you can. Just make sure the container doesn’t let air in.
• How do I heat up the shrimp and sauce again? Heat the shrimp in the microwave for two to three minutes, moving it around every 30 to 45 seconds until it’s hot.
• Sure, you can freeze the shrimp in the sauce for up to two months if you let them cool down first. Let it thaw all the way in the fridge, then heat it up in the microwave.
• May I freeze the mofongo? The mofongo tastes best when it is served hot and freshly mashed. I would not freeze it.

A few of my all-time favorite Puerto Rican dishes are below. If you like pulled pork, you have to try this slow-roasted pork shoulder or pernil. You have to make coquito, an egg-free nog made with coconut and rum, for Christmas. It’s so creamy and tasty! Bistec encebollado, or steak and onions, is one of the best steak dishes I’ve ever had. The bold flavors are amazing!.

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