We offer some of the most typical recipes so that you can taste some of the best local cuisine from your own kitchen
Mojo picón
The basis for the mojos that you usually find around the islands is called ‘pimienta picona’ (fresh hot pepper).
Method
In a mortar grind up half dozen garlic cloves, half a teaspoon of tea, half a teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of coarse salt. When it’s ground together nicely add half a hot pepper and continue crushing. Add a little paprika and then soak everything with oil and vinegar, in an approximate ratio of three to one until you get the desired consistency. (You can put a piece of bread marinated in vinegar before adding the oil depending on your own tastes).
The famous ‘mojo picón’ is made using virtually the same recipe, but substituting the peppers for peppers from La Palma, which are larger than those used in the rest of the archipelago. They need to be softened in hot water before crushing them in the mortar.
Canarian Potatoes
There are many ways to make Canarian potatoes. The recipe here is one of the simpler, most effective and more widespread ones.
Method
In a large pot or pan put the washed, but unpeeled potatoes and cover them with water (sea water is better) and for every kilo of potatoes you need to add quarter of a kilo of sea salt. Put the pot to boil and put a clean cloth or paper over the top opening of the pot before putting the lid in place. The potatoes are boiled for between 20 minutes and half an hour, or until they are tender, then the water is removed and the potatoes are drained well. Without removing the potatoes from the pot, add another handful of salt and keep them on the stove, moving and shaking the pan, until they dry out. They should jump around a little inside the pan. Remove from the pan and serve with your traditional meal.
Ribs with potatoes and corn on the cob
This is a relatively modern recipe, but its popular success has proved extraordinary. It is a culinary delight that is famous throughout Tenerife, despite the aesthetic simplicity of its preparation.
Method
Put the ribs to boil in a pot of pan with lots of water (which have been desalted in fresh water the night before). Cut the cob of corn into about 2 or 3cm wide pieces and put them with the ribs in the water. After about half an hour add the peeled potatoes and let them simmer until they are all tender. Drain the water and serve on a platter with a bowl of green mojo, oil and vinegar so that each diner can adjust it to their tastes.
Ingredients
- 2 kg of salted ribs
- 4 or 5 cobs of corn (Mazorcas), depending on their size
- 2 kg or a little more of potatoes
- Green Mojo
- Olive oil
- Vinegar
Puchero canario
Puchero canario, like most Spanish stews is, in itself, a full meal. Especially when it is accompanied by a good gofio soup. This is one of the most comprehensive national culinary recipes which is probably due to the large content of vegetables it contains. Although the methods may vary, probably due to what is available to cook or housekeeper at the time, we can provide a classic stew which can be prepared with or without all of its ingredients.
Method
Get a large pot filled with water, in which you have put a small drop of oil, and bring it to the boil. Once it starts to boil add the pieces of meat, chorizo sausage and bacon. About half an hour later add the chickpeas and some chunks of corn on the cob. Once the corn and chickpeas have started to become tender add the whole green beans, cabbage and carrots (some people also add a sprig of herbs such as thyme, bay leaves etc., but it’s not really necessary at this time unless you really want to). After another 20 minutes or so you can add the pumpkin, marrow (or courgettes) and pears. A little later put in the sweet potatoes and potatoes.
A few minutes before removing the pot from the stove add a little saffron, garlic and cumin mashed to a paste. This part of the process is called “tuning” the pot and is fundamental to its authenticity.
Ingredients
- 1/2 kg of beef
- A good piece of bacon
- A good amount of chopped chorizo sausages
- 300 g of ribs (fresh or desalted)
- 3 chicken thighs
- 2 cups of chickpeas wich have been soaking overnight
- 2 ó 3 cobs of corn (mazorcas) cut into pieces
- One handful of green beans
- 1 small cabbage cut into quarters
- 1 carrot cut into thick slices
- 100 g of pumpkin
- 2 marrows
- 100 g of sweet potatoes
- 4 or 5 potatoes
- 3 pears
- Saffron
- Garlic
- Salt
- Cumin
- Oil
Sweet Potato Cakes
In traditional Canarian pastries, this dessert can not be missed, especially in the Christmas season. They are sweet and individual small pasties stuffed with sweet potatoes and almonds as protagonists but also with spaghetti squash jam or even cream or chocolate.
Method
Make the dough by mixing the flour with the water, butter, a small cup of olive oil and a little salt. Knead well, little by little and above all without forming lumps.
Once we have achieved a compact mass we let it stand for 30 minutes. This dough is going to be the one that we are going to use to shape the cake.
Stew the sweet potatoes with water and salt. When they are already soft but without getting to brown, remove and crush.
Mix the sweet potato with the crushed almonds, the sugar, the grated lemon and the ground cinnamon. When the dough obtained is compact and thick, set aside.
Sprinkle flour on the table, stretch the dough with a roller and form circles about 8 or 10 centimeters in diameter.
Place some stuffing inside and fold carefully, uniting the edges by crushing them with a fork, but not too tight as we run the risk that the dough will break.
You also do not have to fill them too much because we do not want to put them in the pan to break in the center, or the filling finish drenched in oil.
Fry in very hot oil. Once removed from the fire, sprinkle with icing sugar.
Let cool to serve.
Ingredients
- 1/2 of flour.
- 1 kg of sweet potato (sweet potato).
- 3/4 kg of sugar.
- 100 g peeled almonds.
- The zest of a lemon.
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine for puff pastry.
- Olive oil.
- Ground cinnamon.
- Salt.
