🌱🥔Potatoes are a versatile, nutritious, and budget-friendly staple, but did you know you can eat them with their skins on? Potato skins are packed with fibre and nutrients! So, are you ready to bring the flavours of the Canarian Carnival to your table? Let’s cook delicious Canarian-style wrinkled potatoes, or Papas arrugadas, boiled in salted water. Traditionally, seawater was used, creating their unique texture and deliciously salty crust. They are perfect for dipping into either a spicy red mojo sauce, made with chilli, garlic, and smoky paprika, or a bold and flavourful green mojo sauce with fresh coriander!
🌶️😋 Grandma Sita cooked with David to create this plant-based family recipe inspired by the iconic Papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes), a popular dish originating in the Canary Islands, Spain. Traditionally served with Mojo Verde (green mojo) and spicy Mojo Picón (red mojo), these Canarian wrinkled potatoes are full of simple, delicious flavours. There are no strict recipes — every Canarian family puts its own twist on the dish according to their taste. Store any leftover mojo sauce in a jar in the fridge; it keeps for several days and tastes even better as the flavours develop!
➡️ What is mojo? Mojo is a fresh, vibrant, uncooked sauce originating from the Canary Islands. It is used as a condiment, topping, or marinade for fish, meat, and vegetables. Mojo is also commonly served with fresh bread rolls at the beginning of a meal. There are many varieties of mojo sauce, particularly in places such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, other parts of the Caribbean, and across Latin America.
INGREDIENTS
🌿FOR GREEN MOJO — MOJO VERDE
1 bunch of fresh coriander or parsley, roughly chopped
1/3 medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small green chilli (optional, for an extra kick!)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
⅓ cup (100 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp coarse sea salt, or to taste
🌶️ FOR SPICY RED MOJO — MOJO PICÓN
1/3 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/3 dried red chilli pepper (adjust to your preferred level of heat)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
⅓ cup (100 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp coarse sea salt, or to taste
🥔 FOR WRINKLED POTATOES — PAPAS ARRUGADAS
500gr baby potatoes
3 tsp coarse sea salt
METHOD
🌿 Green Mojo — Mojo Verde
1. Wash the coriander well and pat it dry. Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop the green bell pepper.
2. Add these three ingredients to a blender, then add the vinegar, cumin, and a pinch of salt. Blend until you have a smooth, even mixture.
3. Gradually add the olive oil while continuing to blend until the sauce is smooth and vibrant green.
4. Pour the Mojo Verde into a clean glass jar and store it in the fridge for up to two months.
🌶️ Spicy Red Mojo — Mojo Picón
1. Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop the red bell pepper. Remove the seeds from the dried red chilli if you prefer a milder mojo, or leave them in for extra heat.
2. Add the garlic, red pepper, and chilli to a blender. Add the vinegar, cumin, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt. Gradually add the olive oil while blending until the sauce is smooth and vibrant red.
3. Pour the Mojo Picón into a clean glass jar and store it in the fridge for up to two months.
🥔 How to Make Canarian Wrinkled Potatoes — Papas Arrugadas
1. Wash the baby potatoes thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and place them in a large saucepan.
2. Cover with just enough water and add a generous amount of coarse sea salt (approximately 3 tsp).
3. Boil until the potatoes are tender. Drain them, then return them to the saucepan and let them dry over low heat, shaking the pan gently from time to time. The skins will gradually wrinkle and develop a delicious salty crust! Save the potato cooking water for soups or bread-making — it is packed with flavour and nutrients.
4. Serve the Papas arrugadas hot with Mojo Verde and Mojo Picón, and enjoy a taste of the Canary Islands!
👵💚 Grandma Sita’s tips:
- Love potatoes? Store them in a cool, dark place to extend freshness and avoid sprouting!
- Instead of throwing away potato scraps, let’s make the most of every part of the potato! Peels and trimmings add flavour and nutrients to homemade vegetable stock. You can also roast them with olive oil and spices to make delicious, crispy potato-skin chips.
- If you can’t eat them, compost them! Potato peels break down easily and help enrich the soil.
📗Did you know? There are 29 varieties of heritage potatoes in the Canary Islands, some dating back centuries. They have retained their genetic characteristics since they were first introduced to the islands from the Americas. Among them are bonitas (“beautiful”), negras (“black”), and rojas (“red”) potatoes, which are particularly well suited to making traditional Papas arrugadas.
♻️Potatoes are among the most wasted foods worldwide, which is surprising when you consider how versatile they are and how long they can last when stored properly. Instead of throwing away potato scraps, let’s make the most of every part of the potato!