Mojo Verde inspired by the Canaries
When our friends came back from the holiday they spent on Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands, they told me about their culinary discovery with such passion that I had to try it, Canarian Mojos! The name derives from the Portuguese word molho (meaning sauce) and stands for an endless variety of sauces made of (fresh or dried) green or red peppers, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, fresh herbs, like coriander or parsely and spices, like cumin, caraway seeds or sweet paprika. Most of these traditional Canarian dishes praise the local peppers which must be extremely aromatic and strong in flavour and cover the whole range from mild to very hot and spicy. Some sauces are made just with herbs, similar to a thick pesto or with dried spices mixed with breadcrumbs. I also read about a sauce which mainly features grated hard cheese, the Almogrote which originates from the Canarian island La Gomera. There are so many delicious sounding names like the spicy, red Mojo Rojo Picón made of dried red hot peppers or Mojo de Almendras mixed with roast almonds. These sauces will be one of my winter kitchen projects as many of them can be made with dried peppers and they offer a great field to experiment with strong aromas.
My friends told me that they savored these sauces with almost every dish, with fish, meat, vegetables and potatoes and they encouraged me to give them a try although I've never visited the Canarian Islands myself. So I don't claim authenticity, I just felt inspired to mix my own Mojo inspired by these islands' signature dishes. For my Mojo Verde, I mixed mild green bell pepper with garlic, fresh hot chili pepper, (lots of) olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of cumin and salt and pepper and I was very pleased with the result when I mixed it with my pasta!
Mojo Verde
For 4 people you need
long or round green bell pepper (preferably organic as they taste stronger) 1
olive oil 2-4 tablespoons
fresh red chili pepper 1
garlic, 2 big cloves
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
salt and pepper
optional: a pinch of cumin, to taste
Mix the ingredients in a blender, or more authentically but also more time consuming, grind them in a mortar to a thick paste. Season to taste and serve with pasta or on grilled bread or vegetables.
Frankfurt Green Sauce - 7 Herbs and Spring Potatoes
Sorrel, borage, chervil, burnet, parsley, chives and garden cress, these are the 7 herbs which make up the traditional Frankfurt Green Sauce. Similar to the Italian Salsa Verde or the French Sauce Verte, which are also mainly made of herbs, the famous German version is made of greens growing in the Frankfurt area. Legend has it that the origin of the green herbal sauce is in the Orient and it was brought to Europe by the Romans more than 2000 years ago, enough time for each region to create their own, unique recipes. Apart from the right selection of herbs, there isn't "one" recipe for this sauce from Frankfurt. They all vary, some add heavy cream, sour cream, yoghurt or mayonnaise, some are made with onions, garlic or mustard, but most involve a hard boiled egg.
I developed my own recipe a few years ago when I used to live close to the city of the sauce's origin. To me, the sauce needs 2 crumbled hard boiled eggs, sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, a little heavy cream for some sweetness, white Balsamico vinegar and salt and pepper, but the focus is definitely on the herbs, you need a lot, 200g / 7 ounces in total!
Traditionally the cold sauce is eaten with boiled spring potatoes, some serve it with cold meat but I prefer to keep it simple and light, the sauce is so fragrant and aromatic that the mild potatoes fit just perfectly.
Frankfurt Green Sauce with Spring Potatoes
For 2-3 people you need
medium sized potatoes, boiled and peeled, 4-6
For the sauce
mixed herbs (sorrel, borage, chervil, burnet, parsley, chives and garden cress) 200g / 7 ounces
organic eggs, hardboiled, chopped finely, 2
sour cream 5 tablespoons
olive oil 2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons
heavy cream 1 tablespoon
white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon
salt and pepper
Chop the herbs with a knife finely or mix in a blender. Put the herbs in a big bowl and add the eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve on top of the potatoes.
