Canarian Potatoes and Mojo Sauce

Of local Canarian cuisine, few dishes are more ubiquitous than Canarian Potatoes—papas arrugadas. This is a simple dish consisting of wrinkly potatoes and dipping sauces known as mojos. The papas are traditional accouterments to meat and seafood, though they are also served as appetizers.

We enjoyed the dish during a recent trip to Gran Canaria—read my previous post about the island—and I wanted to recreate it at home. The recipe is simple, and the result is both versatile and tasty. Worth noting, too, is that wrinkly potatoes can be enjoyed by themselves, sans sauces.

Wrinkly Potatoes

• Enough unpeeled fingerling potatoes to cover a large-size pot
• 5-7 tbsp sea salt

Add just enough cold water to cover the potatoes in the pot. Toss salt into the water and bring to a boil, adding warm water if needed—the potatoes should remain covered. Boil for about twenty minutes or until a fork easily penetrates the potatoes.

Drain the pot and let the potatoes dry in it until shriveled. Serve with mojo sauces:

Mojo Sauces

Mojo Rojo

• 2 heads of garlic
• 2 red peppers
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt to taste

Toss all the ingredients into a blender and let it run until the consistency is pasty, without any large chunks. Squeeze the sauce through a cheesecloth if you want a smoother consistency.

Mojo Verde

• 6 heads of garlic
• 1 green pepper
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Follow the same steps above: Blend until pasty, and you’re good to go.

Optionally, the potatoes go well with aïoli—I threw the sauce together by eyeballing mayo, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. Just mix the ingredients to taste.

Sources

“Papas arrugadas.” Wikipedia. February 17, 2022. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papas_arrugadas