Mofongo

Puerto Rico (West African fufu tradition adapted to Caribbean plantation economy)

Mofongo is Puerto Rico's most iconic dish — green plantains (not ripe) fried until golden, then pounded in a wooden pilón (mortar) with garlic, olive oil, pork cracklings (chicharrón), and salt until they form a dense, garlicky mass that is shaped into a dome or served in the mortar itself. The dish is of West African origin, descended from fufu (pounded starchy root), transformed through the substitution of plantain for yam and the addition of Spanish olive oil and garlic. The plantain must be fried at 325°F (not crisp — they should still be tender inside) before pounding — raw plantain does not pound to the correct elastic, cohesive texture. Mofongo is served with a broth (caldo) poured around it or as a vessel for shrimp, chicken, or beef stew.

Caldo (clear chicken or beef broth with herbs) poured around the mofongo dome is the traditional service; shrimp al ajillo or chicken stew spooned into a hollowed mofongo transforms it from a side to a main.