Papas con Mojo (Canarian Potatoes with Mojo Sauce)

Name: Papas con Mojo (Canarian Potatoes with Mojo Sauce)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb small waxy potatoes (fingerlings or small red potatoes work well); 0.25 cup coarse sea salt; 4 clove garlic cloves; 2 tsp sweet paprika (Spanish pimentón dulce preferred); 0.5 tsp hot paprika or cayenne pepper; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp fine salt; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar; 0.33 cup extra virgin olive oil

Wrinkled Papas con Mojo — Salt-Crusted Canarian Potatoes with Fiery Red Sauce

These little potatoes emerge from their salty bath with beautifully wrinkled skins and creamy, perfectly seasoned flesh. The vibrant mojo sauce — a garlicky, smoky blend that's both earthy and electric — turns them into something extraordinary.

SpanishSide DishVegetarianVeganGluten FreeDairy FreeBudget FriendlyHealthy

Prep15 min

Cook25 min

Total40 min

Servings4

Difficultyeasy

Nutrition

fat11g

carbs45g

protein4g

calories285

Ingredients

2 lbsmall waxy potatoes (fingerlings or small red potatoes work well)
¼ cupcoarse sea salt

Mojo Sauce

4 clovegarlic cloves
2 tspsweet paprika (Spanish pimentón dulce preferred)
½ tsphot paprika or cayenne pepper
1 tspground cumin
½ tspfine salt
2 tbspwhite wine vinegar
⅓ cupextra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Give the potatoes a good scrub under cold water, but leave those skins on — they'll wrinkle beautifully and protect the flesh during cooking. Choose potatoes that are roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
Drop the potatoes into a heavy-bottomed pot and add just enough water to cover them by an inch. Stir in the coarse salt — it should taste like seawater. This salty bath is what creates the signature wrinkled skin and seasons the potatoes through and through.
Bring the water to a rolling boil, then dial the heat back to maintain a steady simmer. The potatoes are done when a knife slides through the largest one without resistance — usually about 20 minutes, but it depends on size.
⏱ 20 min
While the potatoes bubble away, grab your mortar and pestle. Crush the garlic cloves with the fine salt until you have a smooth paste — the salt acts like sandpaper to break down the garlic fibers.
Work both paprikas and the cumin into the garlic paste, grinding until the mixture turns deep red and releases a heady, toasted aroma. This is where the mojo gets its character — don't rush this step.
Drizzle in the vinegar first, stirring to loosen the paste, then slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking constantly. The sauce should emulsify into a thick, glossy mixture that coats the back of a spoon.
Once the potatoes are tender, drain them well and return them to the pot. Set it over low heat and shake the pot gently for about 2 minutes — this evaporates any remaining moisture and helps create those distinctive wrinkled skins.
⏱ 2 min
Transfer the wrinkled potatoes to a serving platter while they're still steaming hot. Serve the mojo sauce in a separate bowl for dipping — each person can control how much fire they want with each bite.