Crumpled potatoes with mojo picón

How to make canarian potatoes . This recipe with Canarian-style potatoes is more of a trick to prepare them and make them look perfect, almost as if you were in Tenerife itself.

Tenerife’s cuisine is a gastronomy based on the products offered by the environment. Well, the islanders have always had to make good use of the food around them. You will find good stews such as the Canarian chickpeas  or the Canarian stew with its traditional pineapple (millet or corn). The octopus canary style they do in most guachinches I love, but certainly I’ll take the wrinkled potatoes .

The guachinches are places that you will find in Tenerife, where as if it were a Galician furancho you can taste the house wine. Like the Galicians, the homemade wine that the farmer wants to produce is sold, accompanied by its more traditional cuisine.

Recipes of a lifetime that most of the time come directly from the kitchen of the house where the guachinche is. This term comes from an Americanism, the bolinche. But you already know the great English that is spoken in Spain, with what derives from English watching and from there to guachinche. Curious, isn’t it?

In the Canary Islands it is affectionately called the Canarian truffle . Even if you think there is a variety, they have many varieties. The torrent or borralla are the best known, but you will find such curious potatoes, such as the lily, the partridge’s eye or the famous pretty potato.

Most of these varieties you will find in Tenerife, although in the rest of the islands it is also possible to consume them. In the Canary Islands the potatoes are small and very tasty but in Madrid it is difficult to get them. The recipe is not the same as authentic Canarian potatoes but it is as similar as possible thanks to the advice of my friend Maricarmen and German de la Orotava.

The secret is in the wrinkle and the mojo that can be mojo picón or green mojo, I like the variety that I prepare at home, which I call it, the colorao. A variation of the authentic mojo picón, but at home, extra spicy with a little more paprika from La Vera. I present the recipe as they have taught me.

I encourage you to visit more recipes for tapas, snacks and pinchos  perfect to enjoy with yours at home. And remember that it is now possible to find quality potatoes on the Peninsula, especially in specialized fruit shops. Near my house, in San Sebastián de los Reyes you have 2 to name one. To the kitchen my friends.

Preparation of the mojo picón

1. We start with the mojo, so we will have it resting before cooking the potatoes. You already know that you have the mojo picón recipe on the blog, so cook it up.
2. We have two ways to prepare the mojo picón, one with and the other without mortar.
3. If you want to prepare the mojo as such as they do in the Canary Islands, you must give it to the mortar, for this we mash the peeled and chopped garlic, the cumin if it is in grain, the peppers or piconas clean of seeds, the red pepper and the coarse salt We give it vigorously until they form a smooth and homogeneous paste.
4. Once we have the pasta, we add the paprika and very slowly the extra virgin olive oil and the vinegar until there is a thick paste, if it is too thick we can lighten it with a little water.
5. If we prepare it with the mixer (it is only a venial sin and it is faster) we will put everything in a bowl and crush until there is a paste similar to a light purée.

Preparation of the wrinkled potatoes

1. We wash the potatoes very well and place them in a large saucepan with a liter of water that is already hot. We put the potatoes in a saucepan and add water (if it is hot much better). The water should cover the potato only, almost flush with it, we should not cook them in a lot of water.
2. We add a handful of coarse salt. Remember that it is a handful of coarse salt for every kilo of potatoes. In La Orotova they told me about the rule of adding a quarter of the weight of the potatoes that we are going to cook in salt.
3. In other words, for each kilo of potatoes, 250 g of salt. Although at home we add as you see much less, I assure you that they are just as rich. I leave this rule to your liking.
4. We cook the potatoes over high heat, always without lids until the water has almost evaporated. The issue of cooking times depends a lot on the amount of potatoes we are going to cook and the variety.
5. To avoid catching our hands with the times, I recommend that you go testing or pricking with a fork,
6. When a quarter of the water remains in the saucepan we start with the wiggle. It must be wagged (as you will see in the video below) constantly.
7. They are best done with a fire cooker, although at home we have induction and they also look great. We move the casserole with energy so that the potatoes are integrating the salt in their skin and it is wrinkled.
8. We should not put any spoon inside to move the potatoes, it is done by moving the casserole until there is no more liquid.

Final presentation of the potatoes with mojo

1. If we see that the potatoes are already tender, but there is some water left. We remove the water and continue the same with step 6.
2. If you make the potatoes with an induction cooker, we must put them on the fire once in a while so that the moisture evaporates.
3. Once wrinkled we leave the casserole out of the fire and rest the potatoes without covering the casserole, so they do not sweat, they are very dry and perfect.
4. If you already have the mojo picón prepared, you just have to serve them very hot with the sauce at room temperature. With the heat of the potato, the oil of the mojo mixes with the potatoes and they are yummy.

You can see all the photos of the step by step in the  recipe for potatoes with mojo. Do not lose detail and they will be perfect, almost like in the Canary Islands.

Tips for some chubby canarian potatoes

• To make the potatoes wrinkled we must wash the potatoes very well with their skin. Much taking care that there is no land left, nor that there is any root, because then we will eat them as is. Nor do I want you to be left without a tooth for lack of cleanliness, the grit is carried by the devil.
• German told me that if the potato is old, half a lemon should be added to the cooking. It helps to maintain the color contrast between the dark skin of the potato and the white of its meat.
• The issue of salt is essential. A handful of salt is added for each kilo of potatoes, the handful (roughly). It is always made with coarse salt and
• The casserole always over high heat and uncovered so that the water evaporates well.
• Prepare a good amount of mojo picón. Do not worry about making more mojo (hot or green) of the account. They are perfect to accompany a lot of recipes. Not only for these potatoes and it can also be frozen.