Sweet Potato & Plantain Mofongo

When Southern sweet meets Caribbean soul

Serves: 2 to 3 people | Cost: ≈ $10–12 total

🧂 Ingredients

🟤 Base

• 2 ripe plantains (yellow with a few brown spots)

• 1 medium sweet potato (peeled and diced)

• 3 cloves garlic (minced)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil or bacon fat

• ¼ cup crispy pork bits (chicharrón or smoked turkey crumbles for non-pork version)

• Salt & black pepper to taste

• 1 tsp adobo seasoning (or ¼ tsp each garlic powder + onion powder + paprika + salt)

🍋 Garlic Citrus Butter (Soul-Boricua Sofrito Sauce)

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 tsp sofrito (or minced onion + cilantro + green pepper)

• 1 tsp lime juice or apple cider vinegar

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• Pinch of cayenne (optional)

🧄 Optional Toppings

• Drizzle of hot honey or guava BBQ glaze

• Chopped cilantro or scallions

• Side of garlic broth for pour-over (served like classic mofongo in a small bowl)

🍳 Instructions

1. Prep and boil.

   • Peel and slice plantains into 1-inch chunks.

   • Boil sweet potato and plantain together in salted water ≈ 10–12 min, until fork-tender. Drain well.

2. Sauté aromatics.

   • In a large skillet, heat olive oil or bacon fat.

   • Add garlic; cook 30 sec until fragrant.

   • Toss in plantains and sweet potato to lightly pan-sear and dry out excess moisture (2 min).

3. Mash the mofongo.

   • Transfer to a bowl or mortar (pilon).

   • Add crispy pork bits and adobo seasoning.

   • Mash gently until chunky-smooth — you want texture, not puree.

   • Taste for salt and pepper.

4. Make the garlic citrus butter.

   • In the same pan, melt butter with olive oil.

   • Add sofrito, smoked paprika, and lime juice; simmer 1 min to meld.

5. Shape and serve.

   • Form mofongo into small mounds or use a bowl to press and invert onto a plate.

   • Spoon the garlic butter over top.

   • Drizzle with hot honey or guava BBQ for a sweet-heat finish.

   • Garnish with cilantro or scallions.